Something Different

Tonight I tried something a little different and a little bit out of my zone of preference. Our local grocery store had a 20% off coupon for wines and I wanted to take advantage of those prices. Fortunately, this store offers a good selection of wines. I spied this one in what I call the “Weird White” section (the store calls it "misc. whites"). It’s Columbia Crest’s 2010 Grand Estates Moscato— $8. Made up of 75% Muscat Canelli, 15% Morio Muskat, and 10% Black Muscat, it’s described as a semi-sweet wine that “can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as a refreshing complement to fruit salad or light cheeses.” With those grapes, it sounded just off the beaten track enough that I had to try it.

Black Muscat Grapes

Pale yellow in color, this slightly effervescent wine has pretty aromas of sweet flowers, lychee, and peach with flavors of tangerine, peach, with a lychee kicker. True to its description, it’s semi-sweet but it has enough acidity to hold it’s own with spicier dishes as well as being delicious with lighter fare. It would also be great to sip on its own. I’m heading back to the store to pick up a couple more bottles.