5 Muscats to Drink Before the End of Summer
It's not exactly a secret that we are a bit obsessed with Muscat at Highbury Library. So much so that we sometimes like making very niche memes about the grape variety...
Anyyyyway, this time of year is the perfect moment for skin contact Muscat. All those aromatics and tropical fruits just scream of Summer. So here are our top 5 Muscat orange wines to drink before Autumn sets in...and yes, they are all dry...
From Vinyes Tortuga's negotiant side of the business, Fruita Analogica, comes this deliciously easy drinking Catalan wine that has been a huge hit in the bar this Summer. Whilst made from a blend of different varieties, it's the Muscat (or Moscatel in this part of the world) that steals the show. Light, tropical and so fresh!
Now to Veneto in north east Italy where Marco Buratti and his winery Farnea produce great natural wines that have developed a cult following over the years. This is much more of a gastronomic number that has more concentration and body along with some tannin. We're thinking seafood, chicken or pork would compliment these intense, stone fruit flavours perfectly.
When money is no issue, look no further than Tanca Nica. Situated on the remote Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, Francesco Ferreri & Nicoletta Pecorelli produce some of the most amazing skin contact wines we have ever tasted. Working almost exclusively with Zibibbo (the local name for Muscat), they showcase the rugged and dry island climate through cuvées such as Terra Forte. Again, a wine with structure and body that should be paired with food. Try with some Mediterranean prawns to compliment those bergamot, apricot skin and smokey flavours. Only 1000 bottles produced.
Now to Domaine de Mena in the south of France and a wine we have been enjoying for a good few vintages now. Really refined with a subtle tropical fruit profile and delicate notes of jasmine and other white flowers. Great with or without food, this is a real crowdpleaser.
1. ZIBIBBO 2024
Just up the road from Domaine de Mena, Marius Long has been making waves with his Sense Pressa project. He has recently released his first negotiant cuvées under the name Joli Raisin and these are the first wines he has made with white grape varieties. Zibibbo, as the name suggests, is a love letter to the Sicilian expressions of Muscat so you can expect restrained tropical notes alongside delicate herbaceous elements. Great by itself or with salad / vegetable dishes.
If that's not enough, you can see every Muscat wine we have in stock here
Grab a bottle today and we'll even send you one of those Fear & Loathing stickers...
Happy Drinking!
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