Muscat is a large family of grapevines characterized by a unique "muscat" flavor. Moscato Bianco is the primary member in that it is grown in every Italian region and is the key component in at least 13 DOC(G) wines (Moscato d'Alessandria and Moscato Giallo are also very important members of the family.). All red Muscat varieties are directly related to Moscato Bianco which, in addition, has parent-offspring relationships with the two Moscato's mentioned previously as well as Moscato di Scanzo, Moscato di Violetto, and Moscato Rosa.
Outside of Italy, Moscato Bianco has long been cultivated in many temperate European countries. Within Italy, it is mainly associated with Piemonte. In the 16th century, it was widely planted in Asti Alessandria, and Cuneo, with the most important centers of production being Canelli, Santo Stefano Belbo, and Loazzolo. A Moscato d'Asti Consortium was initially formed in 1932, two years prior to the formation of the similar Barolo organization.
The key details of Asti DOCG is presented in the chart immediately following.
The Metodo Classico wine is produced using the Champenois method but the stars in this region are the Asti and Moscato d'Asti, both made using the Charmat method. The Charmat method is preferred, not only because of its lower cost of production and quicker-time-to-market, but also due to its ability to preserve the primary aromas of the variety through the process. The Asti production process is illustrated below.
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