Wine experts; is there a French equivalent of the Italian Moscato D'Asti?
Sep 18th, 2013, 03:40 PM
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Wine experts; is there a French equivalent of the Italian Moscato D'Asti?
My wife is not much of a drinker, but she loves the semi-sweet slightly fizzy Italian wine, Moscato D'Asti by La Spinetta. We will be spending some time in France this coming May, and I would like to be able to find a substitute for her in Paris. Does anyone know what an equivalent French wine would be?
I don't drink sweet wines, but the Asti is quite nice. One can taste a fruity back flavor; apricots, perhaps. If anyone can steer me in the right direction it will save me from doing a lot of comparison testing --- not that there is anything wrong with slugging down a series of nice wines, except some of them are like drinking perfumed syrup, IMHO
I don't drink sweet wines, but the Asti is quite nice. One can taste a fruity back flavor; apricots, perhaps. If anyone can steer me in the right direction it will save me from doing a lot of comparison testing --- not that there is anything wrong with slugging down a series of nice wines, except some of them are like drinking perfumed syrup, IMHO
Sep 18th, 2013, 08:49 PM
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<i>Rastaguytoday on Sep 19, 13 at 12:31am
Why would you want a French version of soda pop?</i>
He already told us
<i>
Posted by: nukesafe on Sep 18, 13 at 7:40pm
My wife is not much of a drinker,</i>
In Italy this stuff is probably cheaper than soda pop.
Why would you want a French version of soda pop?</i>
He already told us
<i>
Posted by: nukesafe on Sep 18, 13 at 7:40pm
My wife is not much of a drinker,</i>
In Italy this stuff is probably cheaper than soda pop.
Sep 19th, 2013, 05:49 AM
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I know you're not looking for dessert wines, per se, but I thought I'd throw out a Beaumes de Venise. It's not a sparkling wine, but has a nice effervescence. Sweet sweet, though.
Maybe some wines from the Jura as well, although not necessarily fizzy.
Have fun experimenting!!
Maybe some wines from the Jura as well, although not necessarily fizzy.
Have fun experimenting!!
Sep 19th, 2013, 07:05 AM
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I also think she would like a kir royale apperitif. YOu don't really drink that with the main dish, but since she's not much of a drinker, anyway, I presume that isn't why she needs a wine drink, but more like a cocktail. There isn't any sweet fizzy wine you'd have with your meal as far as I know (I can't stand fizzy alcoholic stuff or sweet wine, so can't imagine it, but could be wrong).
Sep 19th, 2013, 08:39 AM
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All good suggestions, (except for the expected cheap shot from Rasta) for which I thank you. In answer to his query, however, I do love the woman, and a happy and loved woman makes for a marvelous vacation.
I have since done some online research and found the French wines that may be similar would be made from the Muscat Blanc a petit grains grape. I assume that would give the fruity aroma, that the Champagne grape does not impart. My hope is that will narrow it down so I don't have a refrigerator in the apartment completely full of bottles with one sip gone from each.
I have since done some online research and found the French wines that may be similar would be made from the Muscat Blanc a petit grains grape. I assume that would give the fruity aroma, that the Champagne grape does not impart. My hope is that will narrow it down so I don't have a refrigerator in the apartment completely full of bottles with one sip gone from each.
Sep 19th, 2013, 09:02 AM
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BTW, I found this on line. The part about the socks made me smile:
Moscato d’Asti is a lightly sweet sparkling wine produced in the town of Asti, in the Piedmont section of northern Italy. Moscato Bianco, the grape from which it is produced, is thought to have been growing in the region for many centuries. In the early 1600s, a jeweler from Milan named Giovan Battista Croce, on his riches from making royal jewelry, moved to Turin and bought his own vineyard around the towns of Montevecchio and Candia. In 1606, he published a book called Of the Excellence of Wines That Are Made on the Mountain of Turin and How to Make Them, which described the recipe for Moscato d’Asti: The stems have to first be removed from the grapes right before pressing, then the must (crushed grape juice prior to filtration) is fermented separate from the skins. Then the juice is repeatedly filtrated until it runs clean. Never mind that the prescribed method of filtering wine in those days was to use tightly wound cloth. Which often meant socks.
Moscato d’Asti is sweeter than Asti Spumante, another regional sparkler from the same grape. For Moscato, the fermentation process is stopped earlier, so less sugar is eaten up by the yeast. The residual sugars present a sweeter, less alcoholic wine.
But there were unforeseen dangers early on in its production, and so producers often made Moscato d’Asti strictly for personal use. By the time the wine was bottled after the harvest, cellars had gotten quite frigid and the fermentation that was occurring in the bottles would halt until spring. But then along with warm sunshine and singing birdies came the sound of exploding bottles because the yeast cells started doing their thing again, causing excess CO2, which got trapped. And the bottiglie, they go a-BOOM!
But nowadays, winemakers have the benefit of modern technology to produce delicious, and safe, Moscato d’Asti. This lightly sweet, aromatic wine is often very low in alcohol, around 4.5 - 6.5%, due to the residual sugars. It is enjoyed both as a dessert wine and as an aperitif.
Moscato d’Asti is a lightly sweet sparkling wine produced in the town of Asti, in the Piedmont section of northern Italy. Moscato Bianco, the grape from which it is produced, is thought to have been growing in the region for many centuries. In the early 1600s, a jeweler from Milan named Giovan Battista Croce, on his riches from making royal jewelry, moved to Turin and bought his own vineyard around the towns of Montevecchio and Candia. In 1606, he published a book called Of the Excellence of Wines That Are Made on the Mountain of Turin and How to Make Them, which described the recipe for Moscato d’Asti: The stems have to first be removed from the grapes right before pressing, then the must (crushed grape juice prior to filtration) is fermented separate from the skins. Then the juice is repeatedly filtrated until it runs clean. Never mind that the prescribed method of filtering wine in those days was to use tightly wound cloth. Which often meant socks.
Moscato d’Asti is sweeter than Asti Spumante, another regional sparkler from the same grape. For Moscato, the fermentation process is stopped earlier, so less sugar is eaten up by the yeast. The residual sugars present a sweeter, less alcoholic wine.
But there were unforeseen dangers early on in its production, and so producers often made Moscato d’Asti strictly for personal use. By the time the wine was bottled after the harvest, cellars had gotten quite frigid and the fermentation that was occurring in the bottles would halt until spring. But then along with warm sunshine and singing birdies came the sound of exploding bottles because the yeast cells started doing their thing again, causing excess CO2, which got trapped. And the bottiglie, they go a-BOOM!
But nowadays, winemakers have the benefit of modern technology to produce delicious, and safe, Moscato d’Asti. This lightly sweet, aromatic wine is often very low in alcohol, around 4.5 - 6.5%, due to the residual sugars. It is enjoyed both as a dessert wine and as an aperitif.
Sep 19th, 2013, 09:06 AM
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<i>nukesafe on Sep 19, 13 at 12:39pm
All good suggestions,</i>
I'm afraid that my contribution wasn't very helpful. It's been years since I've had any wine like you describe. Then I noticed that I keep some splits here which I used for cooking. It has a distinctive flavor. The closest I can compare it with is Greek retsina, although that one is off scale. However, maybe her taste buds would favor a sparkling rosé from the Loire.
All good suggestions,</i>
I'm afraid that my contribution wasn't very helpful. It's been years since I've had any wine like you describe. Then I noticed that I keep some splits here which I used for cooking. It has a distinctive flavor. The closest I can compare it with is Greek retsina, although that one is off scale. However, maybe her taste buds would favor a sparkling rosé from the Loire.
Sep 19th, 2013, 09:13 AM
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If it is Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains you're after then you should find a clear winner if you can track down a <i>Clairette de Die</i> which is a naturally sparkling wine from the Rhone. Characterised by a sweet fruitiness, maybe apricot or peach. It tends to drunk young and is served chilled - it's a light-hearted kind of a wine, rather like the Asti your wife is so fond of.
Beware however the <i>Cremante de Die</i> which is a brut methode champagnois and is more appley/peary and an aperetif.
Clairette is not always straight forward to track down and, to my mind, has a rather patchy distribution but you'll possibly have best luck if you can get yourself to a Carrefour or Auchan hypermarché.
Cheers!
Dr D.
Beware however the <i>Cremante de Die</i> which is a brut methode champagnois and is more appley/peary and an aperetif.
Clairette is not always straight forward to track down and, to my mind, has a rather patchy distribution but you'll possibly have best luck if you can get yourself to a Carrefour or Auchan hypermarché.
Cheers!
Dr D.
