I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I have not really been a big Moscato fan.

Yes, I know it’s popular right now. Yes, I know a lot of people drink it. Yes, I know a lot of wineries make it. But I’ve never been one to jump on a trend just because it’s “in.”

You know what I am a fan of though? Good quality. And far too often, I’ve come across terribly made Moscatos that are composed of cheap grapes mixed with a ton of sugar to disguise the poor quality, made by people who want to jump on the Moscato bandwagon without any real concern for whether the wine is actually good.

Naughty, naughty, bad wine makers! You’ve made me Moscato-jaded.

Then one day, “di-wine” intervention {you see what I did there?} caused me to stumble across a Moscato d’Asti that completely flipped the script and got me to open my mind when it comes to the sweet, sparkling wine. It was then that I learned when it comes to Moscato, pedigree is everything!

The wine that caused me to turn a corner was the 2011 Bera Moscato d’ Asti, a DOCG estate bottled vino from Italy. DOCG stands for “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita {Try saying that 3 times fast. Hey, try just saying it once}, and this designation makes all the difference. the DOCH designation indicates that the people who produced the wine followed strict regulations enabling the wine to be guaranteed {i.e. “Garantita} in terms of quality and authentic geographic origin. If you want a bit more effervescent education on DOCG, click here and get your knowledge on.

THE BUBB’S WINE REVIEW

Now back to the wine! Here’s my review–and reasons why it’s a Fizz Friday Find that you should add to your wine sipping stash and rotation:

The perfume of this wine wowed me as soon as the cork was popped–so beautifully fragrant! Aromas of peach, apricot, and honey jumped out first, followed by solid floral notes. The color of the wine was a clear, pale straw hue, and the bubbles were gently fizzing and plentiful.

Now for the palate impressions: Tropical and ripe fruits were prominent {the peach and apricot from the nose, as well as green melon and papaya} followed by orange and lime citrus flavors. The palate is rounded out with rich honey.

It was light, delicately frothy and creamy, with excellent acidity to keep the sweetness balanced and the flavors harmonious. Sip it alone; as an aperitif; or pair it with creamy and/or fruity desserts like a fruit tart or crème brûlée.

So, because of the Bera, I have opened myself up again to trying more Moscatos. If you’re a Moscato lover, I’d love to hear what some of your favorites are.  Let’s get the Moscato sipping experimentation party started…