Sweet dreams

INTERNATIONAL MOSCATEL DAY WAS LAUNCHED IN 2012 BY THE GALLO FAMILY VINEYARDS IN CALIFORNIA, ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST WINERIES. THIS YEAR IT WILL BE CELEBRATED ON 9 MAY, SO GET READY TO RAISE A GLASS AND CELEBRATE OUR OWN MOSCATEL DE SET Ú BAL

Words: L Í VIA MOKRI

OSCATEL

De Set Bal

, with its unique properties, is the emblematic wine of the Portuguese Setúbal Peninsula. A sweet dessert wine made primarily from the grape variety of the same name, it stands out with its fruity, molasses character and aromas of tropical fruits.

The wine is made from one of two types of Moscatel grapes that each produces specific results.

Moscatel de Setúbal is a very sweet, fragrant wine aged in oak barrels for several years, and its shades of gold can range from topaz to amber in the glass. Intense when young, its flavours of exotic flowers, orange blossom, linden, honey and raisins develop with age to those of dried fruits, nuts, caramel and coffee. This white wine, with a special and unmistakable taste, is made from Moscatel de Setúbal, a white grape variety considered to be the most pungent in the world, characterised by its sweetness as well as its unique acidity.

Moscatel Roxo de Setúbal (purple muscat) is made from the rarer, pink-skinned grape variety of the same name. Also referred to as the ‘fifth essence of Moscatel’, the wine has a drier and more complex aroma than Moscatel de Setúbal, with softer aromas and more complex flavours of raisins, hazelnuts, spices, bitter orange, and cherry and fig compote.

The winemaking process

Like Port, Moscatel de Setúbal is aged in wood until bottling. The key difference between Moscatel de Setúbal and other wines is the process that occurs after vinification. While most fortified wines use a pure grape spirit to stop fermentation before they are left to age, Moscatel undergoes an alternative process in which highly aromatic Moscatel grape skins are added to the wine and spirit mixture to macerate over a period of time. This is what gives Moscatel its distinctive and intense floral aroma.

A Moscatel de Setúbal wine spends at least 18 months in oak barrels, which results in a drink with a strong orange colour and a spicy aroma that is very similar to that of Christmas sweet treats. But the best wines spend up to four times longer in the barrel – after 20 years of barrel ageing, they darken and have complex, intense aromas highlighted by nutty and dried fruit flavours, as well as those of citrus and honey.

The best Moscatel grapes come from vineyards planted on the limestone soil of the Arrábida Mountains. The wine can be produced from grapes from a single vintage or as a mixture of several vintages. And these wines reach their freshest and fruitiest style when they are five to six years old, with strong apricot notes.

Types of Moscatel de Setúbal

The label is an important source of information about the wine, showing its geographical origin, the producer, the alcohol content, the date of the harvest, the grape varieties and, most likely, indications regarding the production of the wine and the harmonising notes.

Moscatel de Setúbal wines can be marketed from when they are at least 18 months old. The year of harvest or the age of the wine may be indicated on the label. Accordingly, there can be five, ten, 20, 30, 35, and 40+ -year-old wines.

These wines have also the following classifications: Moscatel Reserva: a wine with an outstanding quality rating where the year of harvest can be indicated on the bottle.

Non-vintage Moscatel de Setúbal: a mixture of Moscatel grapes of different vintages and therefore with different properties. Superior: This one is at least five years old and has obtained an outstanding quality rating.

Moscatel Colheita: a vintage wine, in which the grapes come from a single vintage.

Food pairing

The aromas of orange and orange blossom are the two most commonly found aromas of Moscatel de Setúbal, especially in the younger wines. Wines older than five years often have the aroma and taste of candied oranges, making them a good choice for all kinds of citrus desserts.

Because of its strong taste, coffee is usually the ’enemy’ of wine, but coffee-based desserts, such as the famous Portuguese coffee biscuit cake Bolo de Bolacha, are great partners.

Portugal has a long tradition of ’monastery’ sweets made with eggs, sugar and almonds or a custard-like cream, such as in Pastel de Nata. Moscatel wines can cope with the sugary intensity because it balances the flavours with its natural acids.

When pairing Moscatel wine with cheese, the acidity and sweetness of the drink are harmonised with the salt in the cheese. Therefore, the saltiest, marinated cheese will be the most appropriate choice. The best example of this is the Azeitão cheese made in the Setúbal region.

Chocolate is also a great pairing for wine. And since the profile of Moscatel is rich, and the cocoa content of the chocolates is also varied, the range of possible partnerships can be wide. Milk chocolate, for example, harmonises well with a younger Moscatel, as the acidity of the wine compensates for the sweetness of the chocolate.

Semi-sweet chocolates can also be easily combined with wine. As Moscatel is a sweet wine by nature, a variety older than five years, or Moscatel Roxo, will be the perfect choice.

In the case of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of more than 70%, the best pairing is a wine older than ten years, or a Moscatel Roxo. In this case, any muscat will actually soften the bitterness of the dark chocolate with its sweetness.

Chocolates filled with liqueur, fruit, or nut cream, due to the similarity of the aromas, also harmonise well with Moscatel de Setúbal.

Moscatel Cocktails

While some wines don’t really lend themselves to being part of a mix, Moscatel’s light and fruity flavours work well in refreshing coolers. Try these out on International Moscatel Day and enjoy all summer long...

Moscatel T Nico

Serves 1

4cl of Moscatel de Setúbal

1cl of Triple Sec tonic water

½ slice of orange

1 cinnamon stick

A spiral of orange peel

Pour the Moscatel wine and the Triple Sec into a long drink glass. Add the orange slice and cinnamon stick. Then fill the glass with tonic water. Garnish with the spiral of orange peel.

MOSCATEL SANGRIA

Makes 1 litre

10cl of Moscatel de Setúbal

½ bottle of white sparkling wine

5cl of vodka

2 slices of orange

2 slices of lime

5cl of lime juice

½ apple

1 cinnamon stick

4 mint leaves

½L 7Up

Ice

Cut the washed fruits into cubes or slices. Mix all the ingredients in a glass jar and stir well before serving.

FLAVOURED MOSCATEL

Serves 1

6cl of Moscatel de Setúbal

Sprig of rosemary

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 or 2 ice cubes

Slice of orange

Burn the rosemary on a plate and turn an empty tumbler on top. Wait ten seconds and remove the glass. Place the orange zest on the rim. Pour the Moscatel wine and ice into the glass and mix. Garnish with a slice of fresh orange and a sprig of rosemary.

GINGER MOSCATEL

Serves 1

5cl Moscatel

Ginger ale as taste ice cubes

2 slices of lemon peel

Put the ice cubes into the glass. Pour the wine and add half a glass of ginger ale. Garnish with lemon peel slices..