Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Mmmmm… Muscat!

Years ago, when our girls were little, we threw a family-style backyard harvest party. The major entertainment of the day was letting the kids crush just picked muscat in a hand operated basket press. It was a messy and fun diversion that filled the air with the unmistakable pungent aroma of fresh muscat. The kids then bottled the fresh juice and made their own labels. Our younger daughter called hers “Black Cat Muscat” and enjoyed the juice at meals for the next week. Years later, when Maria was conducting a blind tasting, that same daughter asked if she could smell the wines. She came across one and proclaimed, “That’s Muscat Mom!” She was right and it goes to show just how identifiable and indelible the aroma of Muscat is. Once you smell and taste it, you will always remember it.

I love Muscat. It just tastes good. With a floral and bright aroma, you would think it should be sweet, yet it is satisfyingly bone dry with a slight grip in the finish that makes it work so well with food… almost any food, but it goes particularly well with fresh foods that pose a challenge for wine, like salads and fruits. However, it goes equally well with sausages, pork chops and spicy foods… or no foods at all. I believe this is one of the best renditions of Muscat you will find anywhere.

Persimmons!

I love a crisp crunchy Fuyu persimmon plucked right of the tree. Slicing them into wedges and spreading with spiced goat cheese makes it a bite to remember. Even more so when enjoyed with a glass of fragrant Muscat. If you can’t find persimmons, cheese can be spread on dates, dried apricots or pear slices.

EAT: Persimmon Wedges & Goat Cheese with Warm Spices

Grow it well and try not to mess it up. One of the rarest wines in the portfolio, Muscat is grown in just a few rows of RSV’s organically farmed Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard. Picked at night, the grapes are delicately whole cluster pressed then cold fermented in small stainless steel barrels to preserve the freshness of the wine.