Muscadine Vs Moscato: The Biggest Difference Between These Sweet Wines

Muscadine and moscato wines couldn't be more different. Their names may sound similar, and they both taste sweet, but unless you're in the American South, you'll most likely run into moscato much more often. Muscadine is a sweet wine made from the muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) which is indigenous to the Southeastern United States. This is pretty rare, as most wines are made from a completely different species of grape called Vitis vinifera. These grapes are indigenous to Eastern Europe and the Middle East and were domesticated starting in approximately 11,000 BCE. They mainly thrive in specific growing conditions, like a moderate to cool climate, well-circulated air, and what winegrowers call "poor" soil — aka, soil that isn't adept at growing crops. 

Muscadine breaks all of these rules. It's indigenous to the United States and thrives in warm, humid climates with rich soil. Muscadine wine can be traced back to the 1600s, and the oldest muscadine vine in the U.S. grows on Roanoke Island and dates back to the late 1500s.

Moscato is made from the muscat grape, one of the oldest grape varieties in the world. It isn't eaten raw, and is primarily used to make sweet wines. It's famous for its strong aromas of flowers (like honeysuckle) and fruits (including ripe pear).

Perhaps the most famous type of moscato is moscato d'Asti. It's a name-protected wine from Northern Italy — meaning that winemakers have to follow a strict set of rules in order to call their wine moscato d'Asti. It needs to be sparkling, sweet, and with a low ABV (around 5%).

Both moscato and muscadine are sweet wines. However, one major difference is that muscadine is typically vinified as a still wine, while moscato is usually lightly sparkling or frizzante, as the Italians call it.

Muscadine has an intense, sweet, and musky aroma of bananas or honeydew melon, with an edge of lime or salt, and flavors of honey and candied grape. In comparison, moscato has a lighter, aroma of stone fruit and flowers, with a light, refreshing flavor. 

The price of both wines depends primarily on the producer, although muscadine may cost less since there's no import tax. Producers that make larger quantities cost less. You can find Duplin muscadine for $8 a bottle, and moscato d'Asti by Cupcake Vineyards for $10 a bottle. If you're looking to buy from a producer that emphasizes quality over quantity, that price will go up. Tennessee Cider Co's Midnight White muscadine goes for $23, and a moscato d'Asti by Forteto della Luja goes for $25.

When pairing sweet wines you want the wine to be the sweeter element. For example, you won't want to pair cake with a dry chardonnay; the sweetness in the cake will make the chardonnay taste bitter. However, sweet wine makes for a perfect pairing with dessert. Sweet wines are also a great way to tone down something spicy, making them a great pairing with Thai curries or chile-laced stir-fries.