Muscat is one of Australia’s most famous dessert wines: sweet and fragrant. In Australia, we can be proud to grow some of the world’s most prized Muscat. Liqueur Muscat is at home in Victoria, where the Muscat grapes have been grown for near 100 years.
Victoria may be the home of this fine fortified, but it’s not the only place where these grapes are grown.
Muscat grapes have a global history stretching over three millennia. And over those millennia, some 200 varieties of the grapes have come into being.
They’ve adapted to take on a broad range of climates, including those of North Africa to Germany.
To make our famous Muscat and Muscat Liqueur, we use Brown Muscat grapes. They are a darkly coloured fruit, known elsewhere in the world as Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge . Where we and most Australian Muscat producers grow experiences very hot summer days, and these grapes have developed a tolerance to the heat.
Muscat of Alexandria is another heat-tolerant variety. This grape is grown in Australia, where it thrives in our hot summers and gentle Winters– it does not face up well to cold and frost. In the past, these grapes have been used to make everything from port to brandy to sparklings.
But not every muscat type is as much of a sun-sponge as ours. The Muscat Ottonel is the favoured berry of cooler regions, such as Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine. Its wines have comparatively gentler, more delicate aromas. It is almost always used in the production of sweet and dessert wines, often of the fortified variety.
Europe has a rich history in using these grapes, and an equally rich history in producing fortifieds. But Australia, in its comparatively short winemaking history, is unrivaled in quality.
As you can see from this classic photo, we’re not exactly new to this Muscat game…
And if you are a fan of fortifieds, it’s worth your while to find a vineyard that specialises in them. Our fortifieds, such as our beautiful Muscat and Liqueur Muscat, are famous for the expertise with which they are made, and their amazing, complex flavours.
We even  offer a special experience for those who want to explore those flavours further. You can purchase our Muscats in a small, oak barrel– this way you can experiment further with the oak flavours present! And, most importantly, for when the supply is dwindling, we sell refills!