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43-454: Moscato may refer to: Muscat (grape) , a family of grapes used in wine-making Moscato d'Asti , an Italian sparkling wine Moscato Giallo , a variety of grape Moscato (surname) , an Italian surname Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Moscato . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

86-565: A career in the army (he was tribune in Syria in 35 AD), he turned to farming his estates at Ardea , Carseoli , and Alba in Latium . In ancient times, Columella's work "appears to have been but little read", cited only by Pliny the Elder , Servius , Cassiodorus , and Isidorus , and having fallen "into almost complete neglect" after Palladius published an abridgement of it. This book

129-681: A more fresh, sweet rose aroma. In France, Muscat of Alexandria is most prominent as a blending component (with Muscat blanc à Petits Grains ) in the VdN wines of Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC in the Roussillon wine region. The grape is the primary Muscat variety in Spain, where it is known as Moscatel , though the majority of the country's plantings are used for table grapes and raisins, rather than for wine production. Likewise, in Chile , and Peru most of

172-548: A natural crossing between Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and the Greek wine grape Axina de Tres Bias . Though as Axina de Tres Bias has also been historically grown in Sardinia and Malta, the precise location and origins of Muscat of Alexandria cannot be determined. Compared to Muscat blanc à Petits Grains , Muscat of Alexandria tends to produce large, moderately loose clusters of large oval-shaped berries that are distinctive from

215-687: Is clear from the opening sentences that it is part of a separate and possibly earlier work. As the anonymous translator of the Millar edition notes, in De arboribus there is no mention of the Publius Silvinus to whom the De re rustica is addressed. A recent critical edition of the Latin text of the De re rustica includes it, but as incerti auctoris , by an unknown hand. Cassiodorus mentions sixteen books of Columella, which has led to

258-985: Is known by many names worldwide, including Muscat Blanc (white Muscat) in France and the United States ), Muscat Canelli in the United States, Moscato Bianco (white Moscato) in Italy , Muscat Frontignan in South Africa , Moschato in Greece , Brown Muscat in Australia , Muskateller in Germany and Austria , Muscat de Grano Menudo in Spain , and Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat Lunel in France. While

301-470: Is more widely planted in South Africa, producers around Constantia are trying to reclaim some of the region's viticultural acclaim by replanting more Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and making wines in the style of the original Constantia. While the grape's name harkens to the city of Alexandria and suggest an ancient Egyptian origin, DNA analysis has shown that Muscat of Alexandria is the result of

344-609: Is no solid historical evidence that these early wine grapes were members of the Muscat family. The first documented mention of grapes called "muscat" was in the works of the English Franciscan scholar Bartholomeus Anglicus who wrote of wine made from Muscat grapes in his work De proprietatibus rerum written between 1230 and 1240 while Anglicus was studying in what is now modern Saxony in Germany. Anglicus' Latin work

387-628: Is presented as advice to a certain Publius Silvinus. Previously known only in fragments, the complete book was among those discovered in monastery libraries in Switzerland and France by Poggio Bracciolini and his assistant Bartolomeo di Montepulciano during the Council of Constance , between 1414 and 1418. Structure of De re rustica ("On Agriculture"): Book 10 is written entirely in dactylic hexameter verse, in imitation of, or homage to, Virgil . It may initially have been intended to be

430-495: Is still more plantings of Muscat of Alexandria than any other Muscat variety, with most of these grapes going into anonymous jug wines from the Central Valley . As in many other places in the world, the grape had a long history of use in the United States as a raisin variety, though in the 1920s, plantings of Muscat of Alexandria began to decline as producers turned to more popular seedless grape varieties. Even though

473-558: Is the Greek city of Moschato , located southwest of Athens in Attica , with Moschato being a common synonym in Greece for Muscat varieties. Of the more than 200 grape varieties sharing "Muscat" (or one of its synonyms) in their name, the majority are not closely related to each other. The exception are the members of the Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria families. In

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516-692: Is the primary grape variety used in the production of the Italian sparkling wine Asti (also known as Moscato d'Asti ) made in the Piedmont region. It is also used in the production of many of the French fortified wines known as vin doux naturels . In Australia , this is also the main grape used in the production of Liqueur Muscat , from the Victorian wine region of Rutherglen . Young, unaged and unfortified examples of Muscat blanc tend to exhibit

559-603: Is used to make many of the fortified Spanish Moscatels. Elsewhere it is used to make off-dry to sweet white wines, often labeled as Moscato in Australia, California and South Africa . In Alsace and parts of Central Europe, Muscat Ottonel is used to produce usually dry and highly perfumed wines. Theories about the origins of Muscat grapes date ancestors of the varieties back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians of early antiquity ( c.  3000 –1000 BC) while some ampelographers , such as Pierre Galet , believe that

602-515: The Argentine wine grapes of Cereza , Torrontés Riojano and Torrontés Sanjuanino , stemming from a cross of Muscat of Alexandria with " Listán negro " (also known as the " Mission grape ") Muscat of Alexandria has also been crossed with the German / Italian wine grape Trollinger (also known as " Schiava Grossa ") to produce Muscat of Hamburg and Malvasia del Lazio , and with

645-683: The Czech Republic , Romania and many former republic of the Soviet Union , such as Russia , Kazakhstan , Moldova , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Ukraine . It is also the primary Muscat variety grown in the French region of Alsace , where it is used to produce both dry and off-dry styles. In Austria, it is also the most widely planted Muscat variety, where it is used to produce late-harvest wines around Lake Neusiedl . While each individual Muscat variety has its own set of synonyms,

688-584: The Earl de Grey . Snow described the grape as a seedling that he created from crossing the Black Hamburg grape (an old synonym of Schiava Grossa ) with the White Muscat of Alexandria. In 2003, DNA analysis confirmed that Muscat of Hamburg was, indeed, a crossing of Muscat of Alexandria and Schiava Grossa, which makes the grape a full sibling to the central Italian grape Malvasia del Lazio which has

731-535: The Italian word mosca for fly could also be one possibility with the sweet aroma and high sugar levels of Muscat grapes attracting insects such as fruit flies . Other theories suggest that the grape family originated in the West Asian country of Oman and was named after the city of Muscat located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman . Another city that is sometimes suggested as a potential birthplace/namesake

774-626: The Rutherglen wine region in Australia, to dry wines in the Wachau wine of Austria and Südsteiermark . Nearly all the most notable sweet Muscats of Greece, particularly those from the island of Samos and the city of Patras on the Peloponnese are made from Muscat blanc à Petits Grains . In the history of South African wine , the famous dessert wine of Constantia was made from this variety of Muscat and while today Muscat of Alexandria

817-680: The " petits grains " in the grape's name accurately describes the small, round berries of the vine, some wine experts, such as Oz Clarke , believe that the term " Muscat blanc " is misleading, since the grapevine is notorious for its frequent color mutations siring clusters of berries in nearly every shade possible though most commonly the grape berries are a deep yellow after veraison . In some vineyards, vines of Muscat blanc à Petits Grains are known to produce clusters of berries of different colors that change every vintage . The precise origins of Muscat blanc à Petits Grains are not known, though Greece and Italy can both make compelling cases due to

860-563: The Italian wine grapes Catarratto bianco and Bombino bianco to produce the Marsala wine grape Grillo and Moscatello Selvatico , respectively. Muscat Ottonel is the result of a crossing between one Muscat variety, " Muscat d'Eisenstadt " (also known as " Muscat de Saumur "), with the Swiss wine grape Chasselas Muscat blanc à Petits Grains has been identified as one of

903-502: The Moscatel in both countries is used to produce the distilled drink " pisco ". In South Africa, Muscat of Alexandria is known as " Hanepoot " and was the fourth-most widely planted white wine grape variety in the country until the early 2000s. While some of the plantings were used for wine production, particularly for fortified wine, many plantings were used for the production of grape concentrate and raisins. In California , there

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946-526: The Muscat family are often erroneously associated with Muscat grapes (often by naming and synonyms) due to their aromatic character. These include the German wine grape Morio Muskat which, despite its name, is not related to the Muscat family and is, instead, a crossing of Silvaner x Pinot blanc . Likewise, the highly aromatic clonal mutation of several wine grape varieties such as Sauvignon blanc , Chasselas and Chardonnay are often suffixed with Musqué which can add confusion to their relationship with

989-539: The Muscat family. Additionally, the Bordeaux wine grape Muscadelle that is used for both sweet and dry wines is often mistaken for a Muscat variety due to its aromatic qualities. While made from a more aromatically neutral grape, Melon de Bourgogne grape, the Loire wine Muscadet is sometimes mistakenly believed to be made from a member of the Muscat family. Lastly, the Muscat grape can be confused (in name only;

1032-424: The characteristic Muscat "grapey" aroma as well as citrus, rose and peach notes. Fortified and aged examples (particularly those that have been barrel aged) tend to be very dark in color due to oxidation with aroma notes of coffee, fruit cake, raisins and toffee. Muscat of Alexandria is another Muscat variety commonly used in the production of French vin doux naturel , but it is also found in Spain , where it

1075-408: The concluding volume, books 11 and 12 being perhaps an addition to the original scheme. A complete, but anonymous, translation into English was published by Andrew Millar in 1745. Excerpts had previously been translated by Richard Bradley . The short work De arboribus , "On Trees", is in manuscripts and early editions of Columella considered as book 3 of De re rustica . However, it

1118-1004: The early 21st century, DNA analysis showed that Muscat of Alexandria was, itself, a natural crossing of Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and a black-skinned table grape variety from the Greek islands known as Axina de Tres Bias . Rarely seen outside of Greece, Axina de Tres Bias (also known as " Heftakilo ") is also grown in Malta and Sardinia . Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria, themselves, have crossed and have produced at least 14 different grape varieties, 5 of which are mostly cultivated in South America and 9 still found in Italy though none are of major use in wine production. More notable and widely planted offspring have come from Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria crossing with other grape varieties, such as

1161-522: The family of Muscat varieties were propagated during the period of classical antiquity ( c.  800 BC to 600 AD) by the Greeks and Romans . However, while domestic wine production had a long history in ancient Egypt and Persia and classical writers such as Columella and Pliny the Elder did describe very "muscat-like" grape varieties such as Anathelicon Moschaton and Apianae that were very sweet and attractive to bees ( Latin apis ), there

1204-754: The general prefix of "Muscat" has its own unique translation around the globe. In Greece, the grapes are usually known as " Moschato " or " Moschoudia ", while in Italy, they are known as " Moscato " or " Moscatello ". On the Iberian peninsula, Portuguese and Spanish Muscat grapes are often prefixed as " Moscatel ", while in Germany, the grapes are usually known as " Muskat " or " Muskateller ". The family of Muscat varieties are known as " Misket " in Bulgaria and Turkey, " Muškat " in Croatia and " Muskotály " in Hungary. In

1247-462: The grapes themselves are quite different) with Vitis rotundifolia , which is commonly known as a " muscadine " grape. The "Muscat family" is highly populous, with more than 200 distinct members. However, among these many different grapes only a handful of Muscat varieties are widely used in wine production. These include Muscat blanc à Petits Grains , Muscat of Alexandria , Muscat of Hamburg and Muscat Ottonel . Muscat blanc à Petits Grains

1290-457: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moscato&oldid=1115993991 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Muscat (grape) Among the most notable members of the Muscat family are Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains , which

1333-440: The major Muscat varieties, Muscat Ottonel has the most pale skin color, and tends to produce the most neutral wines and is also the grape variety that ripens the earliest. While varieties such as Muscat of Alexandria tend to thrive in very warm Mediterranean climates , Muscat of Ottonel has shown an affinity for ripening in cooler continental climates , and has found a home in many Central European nations, such as Bulgaria ,

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1376-426: The much smaller, round berries of Muscat blanc à Petits Grains . Like most Muscat varieties, Muscat of Alexandria is notable for being a desirable raisin and table grape. This is due in part to the grape's high tolerance of heat and drought conditions. While it is used in wine production (most notably on the island of Pantelleria between Sicily and Tunisia , where it makes a passito style dessert wine under

1419-406: The name of "Zibibbo"), the grape lags far behind the reputation of Muscat blanc à Petits Grains . This is partly because Muscat of Alexandria is very vigorous and prone to produce high yields that can be easily overcropped as well as a more assertive aroma profile due to a higher concentration of the monoterpene geraniol , which produces a geranium scent, and lower concentration of nerol with

1462-485: The northern African wine regions of Tunisia, the grapes are often known as " Meski ". Columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella ( / ˌ k ɒ l j ə ˈ m ɛ l ə / , Arabic : Yunius ) was a prominent Roman writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire . His De re rustica in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture , together with

1505-544: The parent grapes of several varieties, though with which crossing partner is currently unknown. These include the Italian wine grapes Aleatico , Moscato Giallo (Yellow Moscato), Moscato rosa del Trentino (Pink Moscato of Trentino) and Moscato di Scanzo . DNA analysis was able to identify the Tuscan wine grape Mammolo as the second parent variety that crossed with Muscat blanc à Petits Grains to produce Muscat rouge de Madère (Red Muscat of Madère). Despite

1548-576: The proliferation of clones, mutations and offspring. Today, the grape is found throughout the wine-producing world, making a wide range of wine, from light, sweet sparkling and semi-sparkling Asti and Moscato d'Asti wine in the Piedmont wine region of Italy and Clairette de Die region of France, fortified vin doux naturels (VdN) in southern France in AOC regions such as Muscat de Beaume de Venise , Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois and Muscat de Frontignan , fortified Liqueur Muscat in

1591-467: The region to produce wine grapes that are better adapted to the climate of various Chinese wine regions. Like Muscat of Hamburg, Muscat Ottonel is a relatively recent addition to the Muscat family, being bred in the Loire Valley wine region of France in the 1850s. The grape is a cross of the Swiss wine grape Chasselas and Muscat d'Eisenstadt (also known as Muscat de Saumur ). Of all of

1634-560: The same parentage. While Muscat of Hamburg is used mostly as a table grape throughout the world, there are two notable exceptions. The first is in California, where nearly all of the 102 hectares (250 acres) of Black Muscat in cultivation in 2009 were destined for wine production, primarily to produce dessert wines. The other exception is in China , where Muscat of Hamburg is often crossed with Vitis amurensis species that are native to

1677-945: The suggestion that De arboribus formed part of a work in four volumes. In addition to Cato the Elder and Varro, Columella used many sources that are no longer extant and for which he is one of the few references. These include works by Aulus Cornelius Celsus , the Carthaginian writer Mago , Tremellius Scrofa , and many Greek sources. His uncle Marcus Columella, "a clever man and an exceptional farmer" (VII.2.30), had conducted experiments in sheep breeding , crossing colourful wild rams, introduced from Africa for gladiatorial games, with domestic sheep, and may have influenced his nephew's interests. Columella owned farms in Italy ; he refers specifically to estates at Ardea, Carseoli, and Alba, and speaks repeatedly of his own practical experience in agriculture. The earliest editions of Columella group his works with those on agriculture of Cato

1720-863: The vast diversity in the Muscat family, one common trait that can be seen in most all Muscat members is the characteristic floral, " grapey " aroma note that is caused by the high concentration of monoterpenes in the grapes. More than 40 different monoterpenes have been discovered in Muscat grapes (as well as in other aromatic varieties like Riesling and Gewürztraminer ); these include citronellol , geraniol , linalool and nerol . This characteristic "musk" aroma can be best observed in light bodied , low alcohol wines such as Moscato Asti which have not had their bouquet heavily influenced by other winemaking techniques like oak aging , autolysis with yeast , malolactic fermentation or fortification . However, this common "musky" (French: musqué ) trait has caused some confusion as varieties that are wholly unrelated to

1763-443: The vast majority of the members of the Muscat family are dark skinned grapes, most of the major varieties used in wine production are white or "pale skinned", with the one significant exception of Muscat of Hamburg , which is also known as Black Muscat . This dark-skinned grape is believed to have originated in the Victorian greenhouses of England, where it was first described in 1858 as being propagated by Seward Snow, gardener to

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1806-571: The works of Cato the Elder and Marcus Terentius Varro , both of which he occasionally cites. A smaller book on trees, De arboribus , is usually attributed to him. In 1794 the Spanish botanists José Antonio Pavón Jiménez and Hipólito Ruiz López named a genus of Peruvian asterid Columellia in his honour. Little is known of Columella's life. He was probably born in Gades , Hispania Baetica (modern Cádiz), possibly to Roman parents. After

1849-476: Was translated into French in 1372 with the wine being described by Anglicus as "vin extrait de raisins muscats" . Because the exact origins of the Muscat family cannot be pinpointed, theories as to the origin of the name "Muscat" are numerous. The most commonly cited is that it is derived from the Persian word muchk . Similar etymology follows the Greek moskos , Latin muscus and French musc . In Italy,

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