What is the difference between Moscato and Chardonnay?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
There are significant differences between these two grapes and the wines they make. Moscato is the same as Muscat, a very ancient Mediterranean variety known for a highly pronounced aroma which can even seem like a "grape perfume." Moscato as a general style of wine - rather light and with noticeable sweetness - is very trendy at the moment. The inspiration for this particular incarnation comes from Piedmont, Italy and specifically Moscato d'Asti. As often happens when a grape catches on, the original is copied in other parts of the world. There are also dry and fortified sweet versions of Muscat-based wines which all share a marked aromatic profile. As for Chardonnay, this enormously popular grape grown around the world can make a range of white wines, almost always dry. They can be fairly straightforward and offer soft fruit, but can also attain great heights: concentrated, complex and capable of aging in the bottle. Chardonnay takes to the influence of oak - some say it needs the spice and flavoring of wood - and is commonly matured in barrel or at least with some sort of wood contact. Then again, a minority of Chardonnay is of the so-called "unwooded" type inspired by the classic Chablis of Burgundy, France. So there are many styles of Chardonnay at all price levels from low to very high. The best way for you to see the differences between the two grapes is to purchase two different examples of each and taste them side-by-side. I don't think you'll have any trouble telling the two grapes apart!
