Prunotto, Moscato d’Asti DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) 2017

 Prunotto, a well-regarded wine producer in Italy’s Langhe region makes a range of wines, from rich, red Barolo to this fragrant and gently fizzy Moscato d’Asti.  Moscato d’Asti is produced from Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains, an ancient grape that tends to yield wines that are sweet but not cloying, aromatic, fresh, lightly floral and low in alcohol (5% in this case).  The stone fruit flavors are notable.  Moscato d’Asti vineyards cover a surface barely 30 miles long near the town of Asti (regular Moscato grapes by contrast are grown throughout the world and may be red, white or pink, vinified sparkling or still, and the wines might be sweet or dry).  Unlike Champagne or most of the world’s other sparkling wines, Moscato d’Asti gets its fizz from being fermented in pressurized tanks.