Muscat, one of the world's most delightful wines--made from Muscat, the grape that was most likely the world's first grape--is just about the last wine that anybody thinks about. There are reasons.- Muscat has a bad name, both to people who wouldn't know a Cabernet from a cabaret, and to hard-core wine geeks. To the former, Muscat makes them think of Muscatel, a wine so cheap and awful that guys camping out on the Bowery would probably send it back.
- To the latter, confusion reigns, because there are three main types of Muscat grapes (Muscat a Petits Grains is the one you want), and because winemakers around the world abuse all of these Muscat grapes into sweet and tawdry wines.
In Alsace, on the eastern edge of France, they treat Muscat with a great deal of respect and turn it into a wonderfully dry, marvelously flowery wine that is the usual aperitif tipple of the region. It is available here, too, in limited quantities; just ask your local wine merchant to get his hands on some. Make sure he gets you one that's not more than a few years old--but make sure he gets you one now! Serving Tips
Spring is the perfect season to drink Muscat. Pop open a bottle of dry Muscat d'Alsace and serve with asparagus and you too will understand how good it truly is. -David Rosengarten
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