- Last updated on June 5, 2023
This is our comparison of Prosecco vs Moscato. We’ve extensively researched these two popular sparkling wine styles to help you pick the best for you.
Prosecco is a sparkling wine, usually extra dry, with typical notes of apple, pear, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and honeysuckle.Â
Moscato is instead a sweet light bubbly sweet wine with typical notes of ripe pear, lemon and honeysuckle.
Our recommendation for Best Value Prosecco is Ruffino Prosecco N.V. and for Best Overall is Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore.Â
Our recommendation for Best Value Moscato d’Asti is Stella Rosa Moscato d’Asti and for Best Overall is Ruffino Moscato d’Asti.
You’ll find below other recommendations for you.Â
Let’s begin with the review!
Wine Selection Overview
Find below our Prosecco vs Moscato wine selection for you where you’ll find our recommendation for you.
Prosecco Selection
Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut
The three things that make this wine the best budget are:
1) It’s sparkling and dry and super easy to drink on its own or with a large variety of food.
2) It’s perfect for an apero as it pairs with a large variety of foods.
3) It costs ~$15 which is a good value for the quality you get.
Try it with salads, seafood, sushi, salads, creamy pasta and light desserts and it will be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Ruffino Prosecco
N.V.
The three things that make this wine the best value are:
1) It’s more refined and balanced than the previous wine, which means you’ll ahve a better sensorial experience as you taste it.
2) It’s the perfect everyday sparkling wine that delivers every time.
3) It’s a great quality price-ratio. For ~$16 you get a high quality Prosecco for a very reasonable price.
Try it with Parma ham, pizza, tofu, pork, chicken, grilled fish, or Parmigiano and it’ll be a delight!
Read our full review here.
Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore
There are at least three things that make this wine the best overall:
1) Exceptional quality: this Prosecco is made from high-quality Glera grapes grown in the Valdobbiadene region, which is known for producing some of the best Prosecco in the world.
2) Distinctive character: The wine has a unique flavor profile and complexity that sets it apart from other Proseccos.
3) Renowned producer: Nino Franco is a renowned winery that has been producing high-quality Prosecco for generations.
If you are looking for an exceptional Prosecco at a reasonable price, go for this one.
Read our full review here.
Moscato Selection
Barefoot
Moscato
The three things that make this wine the best budget are:
1) It’s fruity and sweet with a low alcohol content, so it’ll be super easy to drink if you like sweet wine.
2) It’s perfect for an apero or dessert.
3) It costs ~$7 which is a good value for the quality you get.
Try it with classic appetizers like salami, figs and melon or with spicy food like Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.
Read our full review here.
Stella Rosa Moscato d'Asti
The three things that make this wine the best value are:
1) It’s fruity, sweet and with a crisp acidity. All in all it’ll be a better sensorial experience than the Barefoot Moscato.
2) It’s more versatile than Barefoot as you can dare pair it with clams on top of the classic pairing options.
3) It costs ~$13 which is a good value for the quality you get.
Try it with salami, goat cheese ravioli, Indian dishes, Parmigiano, or clams.
Read our full review here.
Ruffino Moscato
d'Asti
There are at least three things that make this wine the best overall:
1) This is probably one of the best Moscato d’Asti you can find at this price, i.e. $15.
2) It’s more elegant and refined than the other two bottles, which means you’l experince its delicacy.
3) It has more layers of complexity, which means that aromas and flavours will develop as you drink give you a more rounded experience.
Try it with charcutrie board, Parmiggiano Reggiano, Cheddar, or light desserts.
Read our full review here.
Comparison
Let’s now take a closer look at the difference between Prosecco vs Moscato so that you’ll have enough details to make an informed decision.
Prosecco vs Moscato: Where are they produced?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from regions and wine styles points of view.
Prosecco is primarily produced in the northern-east part of Italy in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Read this article do find more about Prosecco.
Moscato, in its most famous dessert wine style, i.e. Moscato d’Asti DOCG, is primarily produced in the northern-west part of Italy in the Piemonte region.
Other styles of Moscato, like dry and fortified wine are produced in other part of Italy and California.
Read this article do find more about Moscato.
Prosecco vs Moscato: Which grapes are used to produce them?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from a grape point of view.
For Prosecco, Glera is the main grape used representing at least 85% of the total.Â
The remaining 15% can come from various other grapes among which there is Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Glera Lunga. Pinot Noir generally used for the rosé version.
For Moscato, Moscato Bianco or Muscat Blanc is the grape used.
Prosecco vs Moscato: What's their alcohol content?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from a alcohol content point of view.
Alcohol content or more precisely Alcohol By Volume, i.e. ABV, measures the alcoholic strength of a drink.
There is a direct relationship between the sugar left in the wine after the alcoholic fermentation has taken place, i.e. Residual Sugar or RS, and ABV.
During the alcoholic fermentation, the yeast transforms the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol. Grapes with high residual sugar will therefore produce dry wine with a high ABV.
Moscato is sweeter than Prosecco hence you should expect a lower ABV for it.
That’s indeed the case, Moscato’s ABV is usually 5.5% whereas Prosecco’s ABV ranges between 9% to 11%.Â
Prosecco vs Moscato: What's their taste profile?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from a taste profile point of view.
Prosecco is usually dry or extra dry, with notes of apple, pear, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and honeysuckle.Â
Expect high acidity, light-body, and persistent perlage (4.5-5 bar).
Moscato in its dessert style, is sweet with notes of ripe pear, lemon and honeysuckle. Expect medium-low acidity, light-body and light bubbles (2.5 bar).
Prosecco vs Moscato: Are they sweet or dry?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato in terms of sweetness level or residual sugar.
The sweetness level of a wine is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.
10 g/L equals 1% which, if you are interested, represents 6 calories per 5 oz serving.Â
You can find Prosecco in various sweetness levels, however the most popular is extra-dry, i.e. between 12 to 17 g/l.
Moscato, on the other side can be found in both dry and sweet version. The most popular style is the dessert wine which has more than 50+ g/l.
A dry Moscato will have less than 15 g/l.
Generally speaking, there are seven sweetness levels for sparkling wines. Their sweetness level depends on the amount of sugar added during the dosage.
Here are the sweetness levels:
- Brut Nature less than 3 g/l.
- Extra Brut less than 6 g/l.
- Brut less than 12 g/l.
- Extra Dry between 12 to 17 g/l.
- Sec/Dry between 17 to 32 g/l. Despite the name, it’s noticeably sweet.
- Demi-Sec/Medium Dry between 32 to 50 g/l.
- Doux/Sweet 50+ g/l. This is the sweetest level.
Read this article to know more about wine sweetness level.
Prosecco vs Moscato: Which are the right food pairings?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from a food pairings point of view.
Prosecco is a very versatile wine and can be paired with many dishes.
This is primarily down its bubbles, they clean the palate very well, so you can pair them with greasy and creamy food too.
Classical pairings for Prosecco are French fries, mac & cheese, oysters, lobster, sashimi, fish & chips, fried calamari, and creamy cheese like Camembert for example.
Prosecco vs Moscato: How should you serve and store them?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato in terms of serving and storing the wine.
Prosecco doesn’t need to be decanted. Serve it at 43 – 50 °F (6 – 10 °C) in a flûte glass.[1]
The recommended storage period is 1 to 2 years for normal bottles and up to 7 years for the finest bottles.
Moscato doesn’t need to be decanted. Serve it at 43 – 46 °F (6 – 8 °C) in a flûte or Viognier glass.Â
The recommended storage period is up to 1.5 years.
Prosecco vs Moscato: How much do they cost?
Here you’ll find a brief overview of Prosecco vs Moscato from a price comparison point of view.
Let’s start by saying that both wines are affordable.
For Prosecco expect $10-$20 for a good bottle and over $40+ if you are after Prosecco Superiore, Cartizze or Rive which are considered the premium selection.
For Moscato dessert wine expect to pay between $10 – $20.
Our Verdict
If you have been through the guide, by now you are a Prosecco vs Moscato expert!
You should also have a good idea of what to expect from your glass of Prosecco and Moscato.Â
Our recommendation is based on what you’d fancy the most at a particular given moment or event.Â
If you are just after some refreshing bubbles in an informal event like an aperitif with friends or just for your own break, then go for Ruffino Prosecco N.V..
If you are after something special go for Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore.
Are you instead after something light, sweet with light bubbles? Then Moscato is your best bet.
Our recommendation for Best Value Moscato d’Asti is Stella Rosa Moscato d’Asti and for Best Overall is Ruffino Moscato d’Asti.
As always make sure to serve your Prosecco and Moscato at the right temperature and glass, so that you can enjoy them at their best.
