Muscat de Rivesaltes is an ''

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

'' (AOC) for fortified wines (of the type ''

vin doux naturel Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandar ...

'') made in the Roussillon wine region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. They are similar to

Rivesaltes AOC Rivesaltes (; ) is an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for naturally sweet, fortified wines (vin doux naturel or VDN). The name refers to both a production region within Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France, and the style of sweet wines ...

wines, except for the grape varieties used.Wine Doctor: Roussillon Wine Guide Part 2
accessed April 6, 2010 The wines are white, and made from Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat à Petits Grains

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

, usually in equal quantities, although the appellation rules allow these varieties to be used in any proportion. The alcohol content must be at least 15 per cent by volume, the

potential alcohol Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice (must) and, hence, indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar.glucose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, u ...

and fructose) of the finished wine at least 100 grams per liter. The AOC was created in 1956. The wine is usually served as an aperitif but in Rivesaltes ville and the surrounding area is commonly drunk by the glass in bars and cafes. A popular local starter is

foie gras Foie gras (, ; ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding). Foie gras is a popular and well-known delica ...

served with a glass of Muscat de Rivesaltes.

Muscat de Noël

Muscat de Noël is a designation for young Muscat de Rivesaltes marketed for the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

(''Noël'') season in its harvest year. Muscat de Rivesaltes with the additional designation Muscat de Noël can be marketed from November 1 in its harvest year, while regular Muscat de Rivesaltes can be marketed from February 1 in the year following the harvest.

References

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Muscat de Noël

See also

References