Please help me find a bottle of Muscato d'Asti!

[oracle347]

Does anyone know where I can locate a Muscato d'Asti? I fell in love with the bubbly Italian red when I last had the Tasting Menu at NYC's Gramaercy Tavern. I've been trying to track it down at the LCBO and they don;t seem to carry it... :( I understand it's not am expensive wine, and I'll be willing to buy a case if needs be. So, fellow chowhounds, any ideas??

[comidachameleon]

a fantastic online wine-buying site, run out of NYC: www.vinositeshop.com. Managed by the staff of Vino, Centovini, I Trulli, you will receive personalized attention and service and can contact very knowledgeable people to help with any questions.
Salute!

[The Macallan 18]

Moscato d'Asti is more prominantly from the town of Asti...not Alba. Hence the name. However, Asti's twin city does produce a version which is classically a more dry style to its sweeter Asti cousin.

And yes, either version is a great idea for an aperitif...not only dessert.

[BN1]

My wife and I are huge fans of Moscato d'Asti. Preferring it to prosecco, we like to have some before the meal when we go out to eat. Regularly, we get the warning that it is a dessert wine and it's often only on the dessert menu, so we have to inquire if it‘s available. We have had many brands at many price levels. In March we got a wine shop recommended bottle in Alba in the Piemonte where it is produced. Surprisingly, it tasted almost exactly like our favorite brand, Conti d’Alba, which is about $10 for a full sized bottle. We have found that brand only at the Red Carpet Wine Shop in Glendale, CA. We buy it at the store when we are in LA, but friends to whom we have introduced it get a case shipped. Cost Plus World Mart carries a serviceable brand (La Serra??) besides the ubiquitous Martini & Rossi d’Asti.

[distobj]

I've never seen a red Moscato d'Asti, but the white ones are pretty readily available. Are you perhaps referring to Brachetto d'Acqui? It's a red sparkler. Vintages usually gets them in this time of year.

[oracle347]

Ohmigosh, you're absolutly right! god, how embrassing....

[ctl98]

A colleague made me try a sparkling (crackling actually) red. It's called Chiarli Castelvetro and it's an italian wine. It's less than $10 and it's actually quite nice. I still prefer the still reds but if you like sparkling reds, you might want to try it.

[cream]

The LCBO carries a brand in the general list section of sparkling wine. They carry it year round, although they do have some special offerings in Vintages. I can't remember the name of the winery, but it is a black bottle with a pink rose on the label. It sells for about $12. Hope this helps!

[mikeb]

If you are looking for a specific bottle that's not in the Vintages database, email the house in Italy and ask them who their rep is in Canada.

Here's a list of Ontario wine agents if you want to do the legwork yourself:

http://gremolata.com/wineagents.htm

[estufarian]

It's available as a Vintages selection (not regular stores). Around $15 per bottle. Go to
http://www.vintages.com/
and type in moscato d'asti in the search box at the top. Around 8 selections will be shown (of which some are out-of-stock - this is not the best search engine in the world!). Just click on any of these and then on the 'check availability' button to find your closest store.

[Melanie Wong]

Of the wines on the list, I've had both the 2005 La Spinetta Bricco Quaglia and the 2005 Paolo Saracco in the last few months and recommend them both. The Saracco seems a tad bit dryer to me and more restrained, the La Spinetta is slightly fruitier. Both of them are among the very top Moscato d'Asti producers.

http://www.vintages.com/frame_results...