Global Moscato Day: Award-winning wines to seek out

Moscato emerged as the drink of choice for hip-hop royalty in the 2000s. Lil’ Kim got the ball rolling when she mentioned the semi-sparkling wine in her 2006 hit Lighters Up, and Drake was soon waxing lyrical about pairing Moscato with lobster.

Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar captured the zeitgeist when they collaborated on Moscato in 2011. Lamar, who went on to win a Pulitzer Prize, delivers this immortal line on the track: 'When things get hard to swallow, we need a bottle of Moscato, puts me in the mood for your lovin’ – ya love it.'

Sales exceeded $300 million in the US that year, while sales in Canada doubled.

Californian winery Gallo Family Vineyards decided to capitalise on the trend, so it created Moscato Day in 2012. The company chose 9 May as a fixed annual date, giving fans – including hip-hop superstars – a chance to savour a glass of Moscato each year.

An ancient grape with modern appeal

The Muscat family of grapes has thrived in the Mediterranean for thousands of years.

Its roots may stretch back to Ancient Greece, where it was likely known as Anathelicon Moschaton. Historians have speculated that the Ancient Romans, Persians and Egyptians all enjoyed wines made from Muscat too.

The family contains more than 200 varieties, but the most prized for winemaking is Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains – the grape behind Italy’s beloved Moscato d’Asti. The grape found its spiritual home in Piedmont, in north-west Italy.

That region is renowned for making world-class red wines like Barolo and Barbaresco, but it also created Moscato d’Asti. This gently sparkling wine offers a delicate sweetness and low levels of alcohol (typically around 5% to 6% abv). That makes it a perfect wine for newcomers, but it’s also a popular palate cleanser for experienced drinkers.

Scroll down to discover 10 awarded wines from DWWA 2025

Yet Moscato’s reputation as a simple sweet wine doesn’t tell the full story.

Producers in California make sweet, approachable wines, but the Muscat family yields a remarkable range of styles: bone-dry, aromatic whites in Alsace, fortified wines in southern France and Australia, vibrant Asti Spumante and much more.

There are even red and rosé Moscatos for anyone seeking something a little different.

Whatever your preference, in the immortal words of Drake, 9 May is the time for 'a celebration, clap, clap, bravo, lobster and shrimp and a glass of Moscato.'

Award-winning wines from DWWA 2025

Australia

Gralyn Estate, Museum Rare Muscat, Margaret River, Western Australia NV
Platinum, 97 points
Intoxicating molasses, sticky date pudding, treacle, coffee and chocolate flavour smoulders and slides over the unctuous palate, punctuated by a soothing orange peel acidity to freshen and a grilled nut, leathery note to juxtapose. Amazing. Alcohol 18.5%

Croatia

Benvenuti, San Salvatore Muškat, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021
Platinum, 97 points
A thrilling array of apricot, orange marmalade, mango and chestnut honey fragrance seeps into the harmonious palate, resplendent in its sweet, yet delicate concentration. Utterly absorbing with a beguiling freshness from the vibrant acidity. Wonderfully persistent. Alc 12.5%

Greece

Uwc Samos, Nectar, Samos, Aegean Islands 2018
Platinum, 97 points
An embarrassment of riches: dried raisins, figs, apricots and marzipan float over the unctuously rich palate, resplendent in its viscous glory. The heady power is tapered by an oozing preserved lemon acidity. Long and finessed. Alc 14.%

Samos Wines, Anthemis, Samos, Aegean Islands 2019
Silver, 94 points
Stylish with complex aromas of cocoa, liquorice, muscovado sugar in sweet spices background alongside shitake mushroom, fig and dates; long-lasting Alc 15%

Italy

Siddùra, Nùali Moscato, Moscato di Sardegna, Sardinia 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Flamboyant and exotic aromas of dried tropical fruits, vanilla, honeyed peaches and roasted almonds. So wonderfully fragrant and enjoyable with a cheeky prickle of effervescence and zippy acidity in the mouth. Lively, expressive and long. Alc 13%

Ca' De Lion, Moscato, Canelli, Piedmont 2024
Silver, 93 points
Pretty nose of fresh citrus, brioche and rose petal; white stone fruit, mandarin and melon on the palate. Alc 6%

Dogliotti 1870, Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont 2024
Silver, 92 points
Inviting, with a nose of fresh chamomile, peeled tangerine and floral notes; palate of stone fruit and sherbet. Alc 5.5%

South Africa

Groot Constantia Estate, Grand Constance, Constantia, Cape Town 2020
Platinum, 97 points
Multitudinous layers of apricot, orange marmalade, elderflower and tulip fragrance pursue the radiant honeyed sweetness with a smooth, emulsifying texture and a quenching watermelon acidity that tingles and energises. Statuesque with glorious tea leaf finish. Alc 12%

Alvi's Drift, Nectarinia Muscat Blanc À Petits Grains, Worcester 2017
Gold 95, Points
Grandiose and genteel with copious sultana, date, syrupy mandarin and orange flower water perfume permeating the luscious viscosity, with a honeyed hazelnut warmth to end. Alc 15.5%

Spain

Jorge Ordóñez, Nº2 Victoria, Sierras de Málaga 2024
Gold 95, Points
Festooned with orange blossom and orange peel perfume that unfurls over the succulent honeycomb palate. A tapering freshness from the grapey acidity glides towards the end. Alc 11%

See all DWWA 2025 award-winning wines

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