Editing Muscat (grape) (section)

=== ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' ===
[[File:Two vdn muscat blanc.jpg|left|thumb|In France, ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' is often used to produce fortified "''Vin doux Naturel''" dessert wines such as the ''Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois'' (left) and ''Muscat de Beaume de Venise'' (right) shown]]
''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' is known by many names worldwide, including ''Muscat Blanc'' (white Muscat) in [[France (wine)|France]] and the [[United States (wine)|United States]]), ''Muscat Canelli'' in the United States, ''Moscato Bianco'' (white Moscato) in [[Italy (wine)|Italy]], ''Muscat Frontignan'' in [[South Africa (wine)|South Africa]], ''Moschato'' in [[Greece (wine)|Greece]], ''Brown Muscat'' in [[Australia (wine)|Australia]], ''Muskateller'' in [[Germany (wine)|Germany]] and [[Austria (wine)|Austria]], ''Muscat de Grano Menudo'' in [[Spain (wine)|Spain]], and ''Muscat de Frontignan'' and ''Muscat Lunel'' in France. While the "''petits grains''" in the grape's name accurately describes the small, round berries of the vine, some wine experts, such as [[Oz Clarke]], believe that the term "''Muscat blanc''" is misleading, since the grapevine is notorious for its frequent [[color mutations]] siring clusters of berries in nearly every shade possible though most commonly the grape berries are a deep yellow after [[veraison]]. In some vineyards, vines of ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' are known to produce clusters of berries of different colors that change every [[vintage]].<ref name="Clarke">Oz Clarke: ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'', pp. 146-153. Harcourt Books 2001 {{ISBN|0-15-100714-4}}.</ref>

The precise origins of ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' are not known, though [[Greece (wine)|Greece]] and Italy can both make compelling cases due to the proliferation of clones, mutations and offspring.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/> Today, the grape is found throughout the wine-producing world, making a wide range of wine, from light, sweet [[sparkling (wine)|sparkling]] and semi-sparkling ''[[Asti (wine)|Asti]]'' and ''[[Moscato d'Asti]]'' wine in the [[Piedmont wine]] region of Italy and [[Clairette de Die]] region of France, [[fortified (wine)|fortified]] ''[[vin doux naturel]]s'' (VdN) in southern France in [[AOC (wine)|AOC]] regions such as ''[[Muscat de Beaume de Venise]]'', ''[[Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois]]'' and ''[[Muscat de Frontignan]]'', fortified ''[[Liqueur Muscat]]'' in the [[Rutherglen wine region]] in Australia, to dry wines in the ''[[Wachau wine]]'' of Austria and [[Südsteiermark]].<ref name="Clarke"/>

Nearly all the most notable sweet Muscats of Greece, particularly those from the island of [[Samos]] and the city of [[Patras]] on the [[Peloponnese]] are made from ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains''. In the [[history of South African wine]], the famous dessert wine of [[Constantia (wine)|Constantia]] was made from this variety of Muscat and while today Muscat of Alexandria is more widely planted in South Africa, producers around [[Constantia, Cape Town|Constantia]] are trying to reclaim some of the region's viticultural acclaim by replanting more ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' and making wines in the style of the original Constantia.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/>