Sweetness at the Right Price

Posted in: Wine in the Glass
By Robert Johnson, Editor
Nov 6, 2010 - 8:00 AM

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There's a fast-rising artist on the Canadian hip-hop scene who is a big fan of Muscat (a.k.a. Moscato) wine.

So much so, in fact, that he has rapped about it.

Check out these lyrics...

It's a celebration! Clap, clap, bravo.

Lobster and shrimp and a glass of Moscato

For the girl who's a student and her friend who's a model

Finish the whole bottle and we gonna do it big like this!

We can't confirm whether the song has anything to do with it, but the popularity of Muscat wine is on the rise. You know a wine is selling well when the folks behind Two-Buck Chuck jump on the bandwagon with their own bottling.

And they're not the only ones. E&J Gallo - the largest family-owned winery in the world - reports that sales of its Moscato brand are doing extremely well.

Several years ago, Muscat grapes brought growers around $150 per ton. Last year, because of the increased demand, that average price had risen to $350 per ton.

And over the next two years, it's expected that California's acreage of Muscat vineyards will increase by 50 percent.

What's driving the increase in sales? Two factors.

First, price. Muscat wines generally cost less than the more popular white varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

Second, it seems there is a whole generation of drinkers - today's thirtysomethings - who have never developed a taste for wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which they consider "sour."

What's the opposite of sour? Sweet. And that makes Muscat a wine that they'll try... and probably like.

Is it any wonder that the Light & Sweet Wine Club is the fastest growing club in the history of Vinesse?


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