Hey Bartender

AS THE HOLIDAY season approaches, the conversations in my world revolve around the food we'll enjoy together and what we'll drink with all that good food we've been talking about. This year, I have a new family and quite a few new friends. This presents me with the interesting task of learning what all these new people in my life like while retaining all the likes and dislikes of those who have been a

part of my life for so many years. I like challenges, so this turned out to be more fun than you could imagine. One of the hardest things to do is to find things that everyone will enjoy. It's a lot harder than you can imagine, but sometimes there is a silver lining. Today's post will outline two wines that will at least please those among us who do not enjoy wine.

Moscato is a white wine from Italy that is made from the Muscat grape. This grape has been cultivated near the commune of Asti for millennia. It was written about as early as the 13th century. The Muscat grape can be found growing in the Piedmont region, located at the foot of the Alps in the northwest corner of Italy. Moscato d'Asti quite literally translates to Moscato wine from Asti.

Since most people are actually referring to Moscato d'Asti when they ask for Moscato, I'll focus on that. The first recipe for Mocato d'Asti appeared at the end of the 16th century. The wines produced from this recipe and those that evolved from it use what Italians call the frizzante style. Wines produced using this method have a light effervescence to them. Despite this fact, the bottle is corked using traditional corks rather than the mushroom-shaped corks and wire cages used on Champagne and other sparkling wine bottles. The difference is that the winemaker stops the fermentation process at an earlier point than would be done for Champagne or sparkling wine. This results in less sugar being consumed by the yeast, leaving a much sweeter wine with less alcohol.

For those who enjoy Moscato d'Asti, I will fill you in on a secret. When these wines were first produced, the winemakers kept them for themselves. The grapes were left on the vines for so long that they were tossed into large vats, but by then, it was so late in the season that the temperatures in this high altitude region were too cold to allow fermentation to continue. When spring arrived, there was so much carbon dioxide trapped in the wines that it caused the bottles to explode. It was not uncommon to lose all of the bottles before they ever left the winery. For the winemakers, it was a safer bet to keep the wines for themselves rather than risk the well-being of wine lovers everywhere. Modern techniques have since allowed us to enjoy Moscato safely. This is good news.

Moscato d'Asti is a sweet, low alcohol wine that is generally considered a dessert wine. I've often described it as crisp and refreshing. It's definitely the type of wine that could be enjoyed on a hot summer day. It has hints of pear, tangerine and melon on the nose and on the palate. It pairs well with cheesecake, sherbet, chocolate pudding, lemon cake, or a nice bowl of mixed berries.

Sparkling red wines always seem to alarm those who have not experienced them. I like them because they are different. Birbet is definitely different. It is made from Brachetto grapes using an on the skin fermentation process. Brachetto is a red grape that also grows in the Piedmont region. It is generally used to make light-bodied, highly aromatic wines that are distinctive for their strawberry notes.

Like Moscato d'Asti, Birbet is made in the frizzante style, which gives it a slight effervescence. It is also sweet and low in alcohol. However, unlike Moscato d'Asti, it is ruby-red in color that is well-balanced and very appealing to the eyes. It is also considered a dessert wine, but it pairs well with lots of foods, such as blue cheese, barbequed pulled- pork, pork ribs, lamb, venison, roast chicken, and salmon. I tend to enjoy it by itself. It's a nice way to end an evening.

So, there you have it, Moscato and Birbet uncorked. I'm not a big fan of sweet wines, but the holidays bring together many people with many different tastes, so the larger your list of choices, the better prepared you are when the unexpected guest arrives. And imagine how many cool points you'll earn when you introduce a non-wine drinker to a wine that they actually enjoyed. You may just nudge
them toward trying something else. Maybe a nice Zinfandel, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, or Viognier. It could happen. As always, when enjoying Moscato d'Asti or Birbet with friends and family during the holidays, please drink responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!