Michele Chiarlo, Moscato d’Asti DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) 2019

 I really appreciate and enjoy well-made Moscato d’Asti like this one from the Michele Chiarli family.  Heady aromas of orange blossoms, peaches and fresh ginger are followed by fresh, lively, juicy flavors of peaches, lychee, and melon with floral notes.  Small, lively bubbles and lemony acidity offset sweetness and less than 5 percent alcohol make this wine very easy to drink.  Try it with a fresh fruit dessert or serve it as dessert.  One of the charms of a great Moscato d’Asti is its freshness.  Most wine is made as the grape come into the winery.  The Chiarlo family has a technique that allows them to produce this delicate, fresh, semi-sparkling wine when there is a demand in the market.  When the grapes arrive at the winery, they are gently pressed and the juice is stored in stainless steel tanks at -2˚C, or 28˚ F.  They freeze the juice until they need to bottle more Moscato d’Asti.  Then, they warm the amount of juice they need and ferment it in a closed tank, called an autoclave.  Fermentation converts the grape sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide and since the juice is in a closed tank the carbon dioxide creates bubbles.