Moscato rosé is a semi-sweet, pink wine produced from the Moscato grape.
It’s made by adding red wine to a white one or pressing off a portion of red wine and mixing it with its must before fermentation.
The result is a pale pink color that often has aromas of strawberry, raspberry, lavender, and honey.
Let’s explore the flavor and food pairing examples of Moscato rosé. I will also share some popular bottles you may be inclined to add to your wine hitlist if you plan on trying this wine variety in the near future.
What Does Moscato Rosé Taste Like?
Moscato rosé generally has a floral bouquet, big red berry flavors, and subtle oak. Expect the flavor to be rich with red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon as well as tree fruits like apples, pears, and peaches.
Though this wine style can be made using many different grape varieties (and also without grapes at all), it is most commonly made with Moscato Bianco or Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grapes.
They produce light-bodied wines that are frequently harvested early to increase sugar concentration in the must.
The resulting wines tend to have lower alcohol levels than white Zinfandel and lighter body than red Zinfandel. The result is a smooth take on blush wine that works well as an introduction to wine or an apéritif.
Best Moscato Rosé Examples
Tussock Jumper Moscato Rosé 2020 – This wine is not dry, but it doesn’t taste like sugar water either. On the nose, you get peach, apple blossom, and honeysuckle; on the palate, you find more orchard fruit flavors—pear, green apple, and nectarine—along with a note of dried rose petal. The finish is crisp and clean with no bitterness. It’s excellent chilled all on its own but will pair well with pork roast or any grilled meat. It’s versatile, too—perfect when you need a break from sweet wine or would like to try something new.
Riunite Moscato Peach N.V. – This wine smells of Bartlett pears and Jolly watermelon Ranchers, with flavors that echo the aromas in addition to notes of orange blossom honey and wet chalkboard. It’s rich but not cloying, incredibly drinkable on its own—although it’s also lovely paired with salt-and-vinegar potato chips or French fries. The former might sound strange, but crisp acidity is just what this wine needs to balance out its sweetness without adding more sugar or using acid blends/added tartaric acid that can adversely affect flavor.
Noble Vines 515 Rosé 2020 – This example is a rich, medium-bodied wine with aromas of strawberry and raspberry plus a touch of vanilla. It offers more fruit flavors in the mouth—strawberry and blackberry especially—with a hint of tangy citrus on the finish. It’s best served chilled, perhaps while you’re outside grilling at a cookout or relaxing on your patio after dinner.
De Bortoli Emeri Pink Moscato – In this wine, watermelon Jolly Ranchers meet juicy strawberries in a glass that smells almost like summertime lemonade from concentrate. Smooth on the palate, it has notes of water candy along with more red fruit flavors—grapes, blackberries, and raspberry—and a hint of tartness. It’s clean, fresh, and quite tasty on its own, but it will also pair well with spicy foods like Indian or Mexican dishes.
Risata Pink Moscato N.V. – This example smells of ripe strawberries, watermelon Jolly Ranchers, and orange blossom honey with just a hint of white pepper on the finish. The palate gives you more strawberry candy along with notes of pineapple and clover honey plus tangy citrus fruit flavors. It’s best served chilled as an apéritif or paired with lighter fare such as cheese plates or salads featuring spring vegetables.
What Food Pairs with Moscato Rosé?
Chicken or niçoise salad – Salad with a light but flavorful dressing goes well with wine.
Salmon – Salmon is a good choice as it will provide seafood flavor and texture to complement the wine’s fruit flavors.
Pizza – Pizza, specifically cheese pizza, goes well with Moscato Rosé because of its light and refreshing nature.
Duck – This wine is excellent with duck because the fat in the duck will balance out the fruit flavors in the wine.
Beet salad – This wine goes well with beets because of its acidity and light nature.
Feta, spinach, mint, and quinoa – They are great with Moscato Rosé because they bring out the wine’s crispness and clean nature.
Soft cheeses – Soft cheeses, such as Brie or Ricotta, will help bring out more fruit flavors in the wine.
Lamb – This wine goes well with lamb served pink because it has complimentary acidity.
Charcuterie – This wine pairs well with charcuterie because of the slight acidity in the wine that helps cut through some of the fat.
Is Moscato Rosé Sweet or Dry?
Some Moscato rosé can be sweet, while others can be dry depending on their contents and origins. Generally speaking, dry Moscato tends to have lower sugar content than their sweeter counterparts.
However, this does not mean that all dry Moscato are inherently more flavorful or better for consumption.
Most people would prefer something sweet over a dry example under normal circumstances as the former tends to produce a broader range of flavors, aromas, and textures.
How is Moscato Rosé Made?
The method used in the manufacture of Moscato rosé is a blend of white wine production and red wine production.
In most cases, Italian winemakers will use only the free-run juice obtained from semi-crushed grapes, minimizing skin contact with the must.
In this way, they can produce a light-bodied low tannin wine with enough aromas and flavors to be considered highly aromatic.
After fermentation, Moscato rosé is usually aged for about one month before being filtered and bottled.
Depending on the producer, Moscato rosé can be made in a pink or white style and display either still or sparkling characteristics upon opening.
Summary
Moscato rosé is a prototypical example of a wine with low tannin content while still containing enough aromas, flavors, body, and alcohol to make it delicious.
It’s perfect for people who are not typically fans of red wines but would like to experiment with something too heavy or too light.
Moscato Rosé is the best drink for casual occasions, especially when paired with food because its fruitiness works well with almost every dish imaginable.