Muscat, one of the world’s great and historic names, of both grapes and wines, that has been benefiting from a fashion for wines labelled moscato. Muscat grapes—and many different Muscat varieties, several closely related, in several hues of berry—are some of the very few which produce wines that actually taste of grapes. muscat of hamburg and muscat of alexandria are grown as both wine grapes and table grapes (although it has to be said that Hamburg is much better in the second role). muscat blanc à petits grains is the oldest and finest, producing wines of the greatest intensity, while muscat ottonel, paler in every way, is a relative parvenu. See also various moscatels and moscatos.
