Moscato d'Asti
Sweet, lightly sparkling, 4.5-6.5% vol
Moscato d'Asti is a sweet, lightly sparkling wine of the Asti DOCG with a pressure of no more than 2.5 bar at 20 °C.1 Its actual alcohol is only 4.50-6.50% vol, while total alcohol must reach 11.00% vol, so much of the grape sugar remains.1
What sets it apart
Moscato d'Asti comes from the same Asti DOCG as Asti spumante, from Moscato bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), but the rules make it a different wine:
| Moscato d'Asti | Asti | |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | at most 2.5 bar at 20 °C | spumante (sparkling) |
| Actual alcohol | 4.50-6.50% vol | at least 6.00% vol |
| Total alcohol | at least 11.00% vol | at least 11.50% vol |
| Sweetness | dolce | from pas dosé to dolce |
Source: Asti DOCG disciplinare.1
Pressure and category
A pressure of 1-2.5 bar at 20 °C corresponds to the EU semi-sparkling wine category, not the sparkling one.2,1 For the full list of categories see EU sparkling wine categories and, on pressure in general, pressure.
Sweetness and alcohol
Total alcohol adds the actual alcohol to the alcohol the remaining sugar could still produce. With actual alcohol capped at 6.50% vol and total alcohol at least 11.00% vol, a large part of the grape sugar must stay unfermented. That is why the wine is sweet without any added liqueur. The rules give its sweetness as dolce.1 See sweet sparkling for the legal sugar terms.
Vendemmia tardiva
The disciplinare also has a Moscato d'Asti vendemmia tardiva type. It is a still wine with at least one year of ageing, so it is not a sparkling wine at all.1 See vendemmia tardiva.
See also
Sources
- Regione Piemonte. Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Asti (2025-01)
- legislation.gov.uk (copy of EU OJ text). Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII Part II (categories of grapevine products), original version as adopted (2013-12-17)
Facts checked on 2026-10-19