Gelber Muskateller: One of the Many Faces of Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world. It’s said to be of Greek origin but you can find it almost everywhere—in France’s Alsace, Italy’s Asti, and Australia’s Rutherglen to name a few. These wines can range from dry to very sweet, still to very bubbly. (Yes, there’s a medium bubbly; it’s called frizzante.) The grape is also called by many names: Moscato Bianco, Gelber Muskateller and Sárgamuskotály.

If you’re head is spinning as much as mine is trying to pronounce Sárgamuskotály—the Hungarian term for the grape—you’re not alone. This is why the job of a sommelier is so necessary. Who can keep track of which version is which? We can! We spend hours and hours compiling note cards studying for our sommelier exams, not just to pull obscure facts like hat tricks at our tasting groups—though, that happens, too—but so we can help the people who don’t have hours to study thousands of wine regions pick out a wine from a list. Which is pretty much everyone. Congratulations on having a life!

So, long story short, Gelber Muskateller is what Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains is called in Austria. Gelber means yellow, which refers to the color of the grape skin—these are white wine grapes. There is also a rare roter (meaning red) muskateller grown in Austria, but I digress. Muscat grapes are known to be very floral and aromatic, with flavors of peach, apricot and white pepper.

This Gelber Muskateller by Weingut Berger is grown in the Kremstal region of Niederösterreich—yes, the hard names just keep on coming—also known as Lower Austria. Kremstal is predominantly known for Riesling and Gruner Veltliner, but I’m glad the winery made room for this Gelber Muskateller. The wine has a lovely nose, perfumed and full of white floral musk with a touch of lavender. At 11.5 ABV, it’s lower in alcohol than a lot of wines, making it a great apertif with cheese.

Traditionally, the exotic florals and slightly sweet fruit make this a great pair with curry or Chinese food, but I wanted to try something a little different. I paired it with salmon in a Bourbon peach glaze. The fresh peaches played off the peach flavors in the wine while its floral and white pepper components could stand up to the bold, sweet glaze. I think the pairing really worked!

I enjoy this iteration of Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains because it’s not overly sweet. It’s also a bargain buy under $20! Find it on Wine Searcher. Happy hunting!