Popular Sweet White Wines: Nine Differences Between Riesling And Moscato Wine

In the world of white wines, most newbies enter through the door of sweet wines. Sweet wines are smooth and easier to drink. Dry wines are an acquired taste, they are known as dry wines because of the dry mouth feeling that they leave. Sweet white wines do not produce the same dryness due to the absence of tannins.

Wine consultants often reveal that the most selling sweet white wines are Riesling and Moscato. Both the wines have a crisp and refreshing taste and are favorite amongst sweet wine lovers. If you’re new to the wine world then you might not be aware of the differences between Riesling and Moscato. At Tessora’s Barra di Vino, we have compiled a list of the nine differences between Riesling and Moscato wine.

  1. Produced from: Moscato is made with Muscat grapes and Riesling is made with Riesling grapes. These grapes are mostly planted in Germany, but there are plantings in California, Washington, and Oregon as well. Moscato grapes are grown everywhere, and in larger quantities in Italy and the US.
  1. Sweetness: People often venture into the wine territory with a glass of Moscato, as it is the sweetest wine. Riesling is also a sweet wine, but it is less sweet than Moscato. Riesling is perfect for those who do not prefer anything too sweet.

As they say, “Riesling is sweet, but Moscato is the sweetest.”

  1. Origin: Riesling originated in Germany and was loved by the German nobility, while Moscato was first produced in Piedmont, Italy.
  2. Present production: The Moscato wine available in the market is usually produced in the US or Italy, while Riesling available is produced in the American Pacific Northwest or Germany.
  3. Flavor and characteristic: The Moscato flavor includes the taste of peach, citrus, honey, and tropical fruit. Whereas, riesling may taste something like apples and pears.

White wines are usually consumed when they are young. However, riesling has an excellent aging potential and can be consumed even decades after production, thanks to its high acidity.

  1. Food combination: Riesling tastes good with spicy dishes, especially those made with chicken, seafood, and pork. Moscato is considered a dessert wine pertaining to its sweetness and tastes good with desserts like cheesecake, chocolate pudding, and strawberries.
  2. Production styles
    1. Moscato: There are two styles of production, carbonated and non-carbonated. The most popular style of production is called Moscato D’Asti. Moscato D’Asti is carbonated, like champagne, but is less bubbly. The D’Asti in the name stands for its gentle bubbles. Moscato is produced in various styles based on the region where it is produced. These types include Still Moscato, Pink Moscato, Red Moscato, Sparkling (Asti Spumante) and semi-Sparkling (Moscato d’Asti) Moscat.
    2. Riesling: Riesling can also be produced as dry, sparkling, and semi-sweet. The sweetness of the wine depends upon the area where the grapes are grown. The German styles include Kabinett, Spatlese, and Auslese, in the least sweet to sweetest order.
  3. High-quality: For the best quality Moscato, you must look for DOCG D’Asti from Italy. DOCG signifies natural carbonation, instead of carbonation done after fermentation.

The late harvesting variety of Riesling, with a sweet flavor, is of good quality.

Popular types: Some of the popular Moscato are Cupcake from Italy and Chocolate Box from Australia. Popular Riesling includes Chateau St. Michelle and Pacific Rim from Washington and Wilhelm Bergmann Spatlese from Germany.

If you’re looking forward to some high-quality Riesling and Moscato wines, then we’ve got you covered. Tessora’s Barra di Vino is a Campbell Restaurant & Wine Bar With Music, with an ever-expanding stock of wines. Based in Downtown Campbell, we offer scrumptious food, soothing ambiance, exceptional service and of course, wines to die for!