What do you serve when your guests do not like wine?

Have you ever held a party where friends glued themselves to the couch, munching on your cheese assortment, salad, and stir fry while whispering local gossip and sipping Sprite? Feeling compelled to be a good host, you asked if they’d like a glass of wine, finding they politely declined with just a hint of disdain. Later, the word filters back, THEY DO NOT LIKE WINE!      

Well, well.

You faced a dilemma that could have been rectified had you employed Moscato and Brachetto! These tantalizing and bubbly wines please the most delicate palate.

Dancing later.

You can leave these folks to their Sprite or employ my mother’s clever technique when getting us to try things like okra, chicken livers, or Brussels Sprouts for the first time. My Grandmother passed her method, saying, “you don’t have to drink it all; just try a little.”

If you can get the Sprite lovers to try these wines, there will be dancing later!  

The bubbles.

The gentle and frothy bubbles of Moscato and Brachetto are known as frizzante or lightly fizzy. Spumante and Frizzante are two Italian wine terms used to describe the strength of the bubbles, frizzante being the gentler of the two, and we know spumante from the bubbles of Champagne.  

Deets.

Moscato d’Asti is made from the white Muscat Bianco grape and has a most familiar sweet grapey flavor we love from eating table grapes and white raisins. The wine has nice acidity to balance its sweetness and low alcohol, which is sure not to set off the I wouldn’t say I like wine crowd. You’ll find citrus, rose, and peach notes that pair with creamy cheeses, fresh salads, and spicy Asian cuisine. They can also be used in desserts poured over fresh fruit.

Muscat or Moscato are familiar enough names, but the d’Asti may be unknown to most. It simply translates as “from Asti.” The Asti DOCG is a top-quality wine region in Italy’s northwest Piedmont area. Moscato d’Asti is typically served in a flute-style glass at a very cold 43° F (6° C).

Brachetto d’Aqui (bra ket’ tah dahk’ qui) may be new to most, but it is worth getting to know. It’s made from Italy’s indigenous Brachetto grape and is a sweet red frizzante with a soft mousse mouthfeel, mostly known for its floral and strawberry aromas. Serve this wine chilled at 46-54° F (8-12° C) in a wide glass to promote the enjoyment of the beautiful bouquet. And because it is low in alcohol at 5.5 – 6.5% ABV, you won’t have to worry about your Sprite-loving friends transitioning to wine and later breaking furniture.

This wine is perfect for fruit pastries, chocolate, or Amaretti cookies. You can also drizzle Brachetto over fresh strawberries for an aperitif or over ice cream for a special dessert. Brachetto is often touted as lovers’ wine, and a romantic story from antiquity says that Marc Antony and Julius Caesar presented it to Cleopatra in their attempts to win her affection. As time passed, the Egyptian queen found the wine loosened her passion.

These wines are easy to like and drink, so remember Moscato and Brachetto the next time you face the Sprite-loving-couch-crowd!