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“Bottle of wine/fruit of the vine.” -- Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, 1968
Childhood, at least a little bit of it, died the day you realized that “grape flavored” soda didn’t really taste like grapes.
We may not think about it much but, although we graduated from Nehi to Beaujolais, not much that comes out of wine bottles tastes very much at all like the fruit from which it was made.
Which is why—one reason, anyway—that first Muscat grape that bursts, its thin, pinkish-yellow skin rupturing easily and spilling juice all over your tongue—is such a surprise. It’s a grape that tastes, remarkably, like wine. And something else.
There is always a certain charm in tasting history, in eating foods that have not just a pedigree but a whole history woven into their DNA. Pop one of those delicate Muscat grapes in your mouth and you’re sharing a bite with about three-fourths of the entirety of European civilization and more.
Muscat grapes are the oldest breed of their species to be cultivated. The Romans grew it. And brought cuttings with them when they forayed up into Gaul. Muscat vines bloom early; a late frost or spring snow can kill an entire season’s crop. So vineyards devoted to Muscat were carefully situated; southern slopes, in areas protected from harsh winds. The results are a grape capable of producing the sort of bubbly, sweet wine, light, enormously popular as digestifs or for sipping on long, Mediterranean afternoons.
By the Middle Ages, vineyards like those in Piemonte and Roussillon were already famous for their Muscat wines. The climate of much of Australia was Muscat friendly; it’s a popular grape there, as well as in some regions in South America. Today, you can taste a hint of these grapes in some German Gewürztraminer. The more concentrated squeezings of Muscat grapes are in wines like California’s Mirassou Moscato and Twisted Moscato, available at a number of local wine stores.
But, if you want to go right to the source, go to Whole Foods, which is currently featuring Muscat grapes, from Chile. From a little company there, Santa Elena, that’s been exporting table grapes. Muscats are a specialty. The season isn’t long; you should try them now.
One grape and you’ll be fetching about, trying to think where you’ve tasted something similar. There’s the bright, winey flavor of a fizzy champagne. Our editor thought they tasted like jasmine. Close. Here’s what you’re looking for: lychees. Muscat grapes taste like lychee fruits. They taste the way a light, floral perfume smells. The sensation is striking, very different from other grapes. What Muscats are is the taste of a wonderful wine before it ever makes it inside a bottle.
