Stacie Hunt’s Moscato Picks

“Like a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 
I’m fine like wine when I start to rap.” Remember that line? It’s from Body Movin‘, a Beasty Boys song from their album Hello Nasty. It’s also an example of how hip hop can launch a wine into the limelight. But that was so 1998.

Moscato is today’s wine celebrity in contemporary hip hop. In fact, according to Nielsen data sales have risen 70% thanks to hip hop. You can find mentions in Waka Flocka Flame’s No Hands, Trey Songz’ I Invented Sex and of course Ab Soul’s Moscato featuring Kendrick Lamar. The popularity of Moscato is also falling right in line with today’s low-alcohol wine trends.

Good Food’s wine guru Stacie Hunt talks about wine, women and song this weekend on Good Food. Plus, she gives us the low down on Moscato. Here are her favorite bottles:

Stacie describes Moscato as “slightly sparkling, aromatic, fruity-slightly-sweet (without ick) and low alcohol…Moscato d’Asti, its official name, comes from Piemonte in northwestern Italy – a region primarily known for the King and Queen of Italian wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. In this appellation (Asti DOCG), the wine is so popular that its production is second to Chianti.”

Below are her picks in order of preference:

#1 — Macarini Moscato d’Asti DOCG $17.99 Found in wine shops

#2 — Saracco Moscato d’Asti DOCG $12.99 Found in wine shops

#3 — Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti DOCG (375ml) $10.99 Total Wine & More and wine shops

$4 — Mionetto Il Moscato $ 9.99 Wine shops and grocery stores

#5 — La Morandina Moscato d’Asti (89 pts/WA) $ 13.99 Wine shops and Total Wine & More

#6 — Eberle Muscat Canelli (Paso Robles) $ 11.99 Grocery stores

#7 — La Sirena Napa Valley Moscato Azul (dry) $30.00 Wine Shops and Direct (Moscato for those who don’t want it sweet)

#8 — Risata Moscato (Ebony Magazine Ranked #1) $14.99 World Market Cost Plus