Muscat

Muscat is a grape variety that has over 200 varieties and is one of the oldest and most widely planted grape families in the world. The white wines produced from these varieties are primarily known for their pronounced aromatic quality with descriptors ranging from perfumed, rosey, blossomy and floral to musky and grapey. These aromas are due to the higher-than-average presence of monoterpenes (aroma compounds) in the berry, which include linalool, geraniol and nerol. Variations of the Muscat family can be found all over the world, with each region having its own nuance and character. There are two major cultivars of Muscat, the thin-skinned, small-berried Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, which tends to do well in cooler, more temperate sites, and the more hardy, loose-bunched Muscat of Alexandria, which has large berries and is good at disease tolerance and it has an affinity for warmer climates. The Muscat family also plays host to a number of less well-known relatives worldwide.