2006 California Orange Muscat – $14

 

Our Orange Muscat is the perfect wine for after dinner or mid-afternoon. With a residual sugar level just over three percent, this wine delivers sweet flavors without a syrupy mouth-feel.

Winemaker's Comments

An annual favorite, even amongst our bold, red signature wines, our 2006 Orange Muscat explodes with peaches, apricot and honey flavors leaving the palate wanting more. Serve this wine as aperitif or dessert; this wine is surprisingly versatile. Try it drizzled atop fresh fruit salad or with caramelized oranges over fresh ginger pot de crème. My favorite dessert with this wine is angel food cake made with orange zest. Once the cake is made, you cut the cake in half and lay down a layer of mandarin oranges that you soaked in the Orange Muscat and a layer of fresh whipping cream in the middle. To finish it off, you drizzle some dark chocolate across the top. Beware, this insanely popular wine is made in a very small production and never seems to stay on the shelves.

Muscat

The Muscat grape is the world's oldest known grape variety.  It probably originated in Greece but maybe the independent sultanate of Muscat in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula had something to do with it.

Over 200 different varieties and derivatives to the Muscat family exist today. The most commonly known varieties of muscat grapes are: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (also called Muscat Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Muscat Frontignan, Moscato Bianco, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat d'Alsace, Muskateller, Muscatel de Grano Menudo, and Moscatel Rosé). Muscat of is used for sherry (and is one of only three permitted grape varieties to be used in a true Sherry.  Orange Muscat used for some wines in California.  Muscat is the only grape to produce wine with the same aroma as the grape itself. Sweet fortified Muscats have a classic rich, nose of dried fruits, raisins and oranges. This strong perfume prompted the Roman author Pliny, in his "Natural History," to declare it "the grape of the bees." The French noted the grape's musky character and called it "Musqué."

The vine itself is very vigorous but low yielding with medium size very dark green leaves. Bunches are medium sized, cylindrical in shape and elongated, very much like a chardonnay bunch. Muscat grapes range from white to almost black in colour.

Preferred Pricing

1 - 2 cases: 10% off, 3 - 5 cases: 15% off, 6 + cases: 20% off (does not apply to Library & Reserve wines).
Mixed cases allowed. Wine club members are given an additional 5% off on all purchases.