Editing Muscat (grape) (section)

{{Short description|Variety of grape}}
{{Other uses|Muscat (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox grape variety
| name            = Muscat
| image           = Muscat blanc et Muscat noir by JM Rosier.jpg
| caption         = [[Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains]] and Muscat Noir showing the white and black-skinned color mutation of the variety
| color           = 
| species         = ''[[Vitis vinifera]]''
| also_called     = <!-- Other names for variety              -->
| origin          = <!-- Country/region of origin, ex:Germany -->
| pedigree0       = <!-- Original pedigree, ex: Blaufraenkisch & Dornfelder -->
| pedigree1       = <!-- Pedigree parent 1, ex: Blaufraenkisch-->
| pedigree2       = <!-- Pedigree parent 2, ex: Dornfelder    -->
| regions         = 
| notable_wines   = 
| hazards         = <!-- Viticultural hazards                 -->
| breeder         = <!-- Breeder, by ex: Hill, Bernd          -->
| institute       = <!-- Breeding institute                   -->
| crossing_year   = <!-- Year of crossing, by ex: 1971        -->
| selection_year  = <!-- Year of selection                    -->
| protection_year = <!-- Year of protection                   -->
| seeds_formation = <!-- Formation of seeds, by ex: Complete  -->
| flowers_sex     = <!-- Sex of flowers, by ex: Hermaphrodite -->
}}

[[File:Grožđe muškat, srpanjski bijeli (2015).jpg|right|thumb|White Muscat – early ripening "July" variety]]
The '''Muscat family of grapes''' includes over 200 [[grape varieties]] belonging to the ''[[Vitis vinifera]]'' species that have been used in [[wine production]] and as [[raisin]] and [[Table grape|table grapes]] around the globe for many centuries. Their [[Wine color|colors]] range from white (such as [[Muscat Ottonel]]), to yellow ([[Moscato Giallo]]), to pink ([[Moscato rosa del Trentino|Moscato Rosa del Trentino]]) to near black ([[Black Muscat|Muscat Hamburg]]). Muscat grapes and wines almost always have a pronounced floral [[Aroma of wine|aroma]]. The breadth and number of varieties of Muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the ''Vitis vinifera'' grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.<ref name="Robinson p 183">J. Robinson: ''Vines Grapes & Wines'', p. 183. Mitchell Beazley 1986 {{ISBN|1-85732-999-6}}.</ref>

Among the most notable members of the Muscat family are [[Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains]], which is the primary grape variety used in the production of the [[Italian wine|Italian]] [[sparkling wine]] [[Asti wine|Asti]] (also known as ''Moscato d'Asti'') made in the [[Piemonte (wine)|Piedmont]] region. It is also used in the production of many of the [[French (wine)|French]] [[fortified wine]]s known as ''[[vin doux naturels]]''. In [[Australian wine|Australia]], this is also the main grape used in the production of [[Liqueur Muscat]], from the [[Victorian wine]] region of [[Rutherglen wine region|Rutherglen]]. Young, [[Aging of wine|unaged]] and unfortified examples of Muscat blanc tend to exhibit the characteristic Muscat "grapey" aroma as well as citrus, rose and peach notes. Fortified and aged examples (particularly those that have been [[Oak (wine)|barrel]] aged) tend to be very dark in color due to [[Redox|oxidation]] with aroma notes of coffee, fruit cake, raisins and toffee.<ref name="WSET">Wine & Spirits Education Trust: ''Wine and Spirits: Understanding Wine Quality'', pp. 6–9, Second Revised Edition (2012), London, {{ISBN|9781905819157}}.</ref>

[[Muscat of Alexandria]] is another Muscat variety commonly used in the production of French ''vin doux naturel'', but it is also found in [[Spanish wine|Spain]], where it is used to make many of the fortified Spanish Moscatels. Elsewhere it is used to make [[Sweetness of wine|off-dry]] to sweet white wines, often labeled as ''Moscato'' in Australia, [[California wine|California]] and [[South African wine|South Africa]]. In [[Alsace wine|Alsace]] and parts of Central Europe, Muscat Ottonel is used to produce usually dry and highly perfumed wines.<ref name="WSET"/>