Normally, Moscato is way too sweet for me. As a matter of fact, I often skip it at tastings, but Cal, the sommelier, holds up the bottle and says the magic word fizzy. "Try it before you try the Prosecco," he says so casually that I immediately discount its importance, almost as if it's the prologue to The Scarlet Letter, recommended as something to endure in order to understand what comes next but not necessarily significant nor memorable in and of itself.
I admit here and now that I am mistaken. I should know by now not to prejudge any wine, especially a Moscato.
Fiori, which is Italian for flower/bloom/blossom, makes a frizzante Moscato that comes from the Veneto region of Northern Italy, an area that includes Venice, Padua, Riviera del Brenta, and Verona, amongst others. This area is rich and flourishing with lakes and mountains, and the word Fiori also means flourishing. The frizzante in the Moscato gives the impression that the fruity semi-dry flavor is going to bubble right out of the glass, giving it a wonderful effervescence that mimics Prosecco and sparkling wines while still holding its place as a Moscato.
Lately I have been sipping Prosecco as my go-to white wine, but this week the Moscato outshines the Prosecco and every other wine on the table at the tasting. This week's top seed goes to Fiori Moscato Veneto and its frizzante personality!
