Feat. Moscato
Moscato is made from muscat grapes, which hail from the Mediterranean (specifically Italy). Muscat is a large group of ancient grapes rather than a single variety. It’s the muscat grape that scientists think was the first cultivated variety of grape. Famous for being a sweet wine, moscato is one of the most aromatic wines there is. It is as intense in flavor as it is in aroma. It has fruity flavors with aromas such as orange blossom, green grapes, honeysuckle, and perfume. Though it is a notoriously sweet wine, it can occasionally be dry, and come in still or bubbly forms. There are also moscato wines that are flavored – peach, orange, apricot. Essentially, they are enhancing the natural fruit flavors found in muscat. Moscato is made throughout the world, with each area bringing its own spin onto the classic wine; there can be the bubbly moscato of Italy or a dessert moscato from the south of France.
Food it pairs well with: Deserts (except chocolate); Spicier foods; Asian foods; Chicken; Light fish
Recommended Recipe: Warm Peach Shortcake with Brandy Whipped Cream from Food & Wine
Ingredients:
SHORTCAKE
- Vegetable spray
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
FILLING
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 firm, ripe peaches—halved, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup heavy cream
How to make:
- Preheat the oven to 375; Spray a 9-inch cake pan with vegetable spray. In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the cinnamon. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the baking powder, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the cold butter until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and add the buttermilk and the beaten eggs. Stir with a fork, until a dough forms. Scrape the dough into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden. Brush the top of the hot shortcake with the melted butter and sprinkle all over with the cinnamon sugar. Transfer the shortcake to a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, pour the brandy over the raisins and let stand for 20 minutes. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the peaches, cover and cook over moderately low heat until just softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the brandy. Add the remaining brandy, raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon to the skillet. Cook the peaches over moderate heat, stirring often, until glazed and crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whip the cream with the reserved 1 tablespoon of brandy until soft peaks form. Remove the shortcake from the pan and transfer to a plate. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally; slide the top of the cake onto a plate. Spoon the peaches and sauce over the bottom of the shortcake. Top with the other half. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with a dollop of brandy whipped cream.
Recommended CO Wines: BookCliff Vineywards Muscat Blanc; Avanti Winery Peach Moscato; Balistreri Vineyards Muscat; Creekside Cellars Moscato (Bianco, Arancio, & d’Ambrugo)
You can try the moscato at Balistreri by booking a tour with us!