Moscato For Breakfast

I was asked by a niece, who had invited a group of friends for breakfast, what wine she should serve.  I am not quite sure why she wanted wine, but she was explicit. There is only one suitable wine, Moscato, bursting with fruit, fragrant, gently fizzy and lightly sweet.

Brown Brothers popularised this wine in Australia and it has become a staple for people who don’t really like wine. The alcohol is very low (Brown Brothers is 5%), and the acid is barely noticeable because of the wine’s fruitiness.

Many other producers followed, Deakin Estate has one at 4.5% and Yellowtail has one at 7.5%. But all of these wines are shadow of the original, the Moscato d’Asti.

Mosacto d’Asti is a DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), literally a regulated and guaranteed place-name, which is Italy’s highest quality level.

I went into Dan’s and picked up a bottle of Castello del Poggio for $12. This wine was previously labelled a DOCG, but it has been downgraded to Indicazione Geografica Tipica, literally typical geographical indication. The wine is now produced in the Lombardy region, which means it’s sealed with a screw cap rather than a cork, which is a good thing.

This could get technical and really start to bore people, but if you are willing to trust me on this one, hot foot it over to Dan’s and pick up a bottle of Castello del Poggio. If you’re not sure about breakfast, try it with a ripe nectarine, on a sunny day, at 11am.

Follow more of Gage’s beer and wine rollicking at www.thebeerfrontier.com.au