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Grape family used for winemaking, table grapes, and raisins. It is comprised of hundreds of varieties that range in color from white to almost black. Muscat grapes are grown in temperate climates around the world in Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Australia, and California. This category of grapes has existed for centuries and is one of the oldest known to man. Muscat wines are noted for their musky, fresh-grape flavors and range from fine, light whites (often sparkling) to sweet, dark versions (often fortified). Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (“white Muscat with little berries”) is generally regarded as the best of the Muscat grape family. It varies in color from white to pink to dark reddish-brown. This grape has a limited yield, which produces concentrated flavors. It’s responsible for the lovely, sweet, fortified Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise wines from the southern Rhône. It also makes the dark, fortified liqueur wines of Australia, where their Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is called Brown Muscat or Frontignan. In the northern Rhône, this grape is blended with Clairette to produce the Clairette de Die wines. In Italy, it forms the basis for the sparkling Asti wines. In California, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is called Muscat Blanc, Muscat Canelli, or Muscat Frontignan. Moscato Giallo (or Goldmuskateller) and Moscato Rosa (or Rosenmuskateller) are thought to be colored versions of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Although also vinified dry, these colored grapes are best known for making the fragrant sweet wines from Italy’s Alto Adige region. Regardless of where Muscat grapes are grown or what types of wines they’re used to produce, the perfumy, musky, ripe-grape characteristics persist. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains has many names around the world including Moscato Bianco, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat d’Alsace, Muscadel, Muskadel, Muskateller, Muscatel de Grano Menudo, Moscatel Rosé, and Tamyanka. Although not as well regarded as the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, another strain—Muscat of Alexandria (also known as Moscatel Romano or Roman Muscat)—is very ancient and thought to go back to Egyptian times. These high-yield grapes have low acid and high sugar content, which generally produces low-quality wines with raisiny characteristics. A majority of the cultivated Muscat of Alexandria end up as table grapes or raisins. This grape is grown in warmer climates throughout the world. It’s most widely cultivated in Spain, where it’s known as Moscatel de Málaga and made into heavy, sweet, golden- to dark-brown wines. In Portugal, it’s the basis for the sweet, fortified Moscatel de Setúbal wines. Muscat of Alexandria is also known as Gordo Blanco, Hanepoot, Lexia, Moscatel, Moscatel Gordo, and Zibibbo. Another variety is Muscat Ottonel, which is thought to be a cross between an unknown strain of Muscat and Chasselas. This much lighter flavored grape is not as overpoweringly “Muscat” as the other variations. It grows in cooler climates, and its most notable wines come from Alsace, which produces dry, perfumy wines, and Austria, where rich dessert wines are the result. Muscat Ottonel is also known as Muskotaly. The dark-colored Muscat Hamburg variety is used mainly as a table grape but also produces thin, red wines—mainly from eastern European countries. In Australia, where it’s called Black Muscat, this grape seldom finds its way into wine. Muscat Hamburg is called Moscato di Amburgo in Italy. The Orange Muscat variety is apparently unrelated to the Muscat family.