May 9th is National Moscato Day.

Nearly two thousand years ago, the Roman author Pliny the Elder (23 C.E. – 79 C.E.) wrote in his Natural History: “The Muscat grape has been grown for a long time in Beaumes [in France] and its wine is remarkable.”

Call it Muscat in French or Moscato in Italian: Today is the first National Moscato Day, celebrating the “remarkable” wine. The holiday was declared by Gallo Family Vineyards, producers of excellent and very affordable Moscato.

By establishing National Moscato Day, the Gallo family hopes that you will raise a glass and get to know this delicious wine.

The wine is already on a roll: Moscato sales in the U.S. continue to grow faster than any other wine varietal, increasing by 74% in 2011 alone. You can pick up a bottle of Gallo Moscato for about $5.00. How can you resist?

Note that Gallo makes Moscato in red, white, and pink (as do other producers). At these prices, try them all!

TIP: If you don’t like any particular wine that you’ve purchased, turn it into a cocktail by adding gin, tequila, or vodka.

> Check out 13 food pairings, below.

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*The Gallo Moscato is so inexpensive because the grapes are grown in Australia, where land is plentiful and cheap.
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The next time you want a glass of white wine, reach for the Moscato (photo © Gallo Family Vineyards).

Moscato (mow-SKAH-toe) or Muscat (MOO-skaht) is a white wine grape. The wines, slightly sweet and low in alcohol, are often served with dessert. However, their ability to pair with other foods—and Americans’ penchant for sweet beverages like soft drinks and White Zinfandel—is bringing Moscato to the forefront in the U.S.

Moscato History

According to Uncork.biz, the Muscat grape is the world’s oldest cultivated grape variety. It may have originated in the sultanate of Muscat and Oman† on the southeast Arabian Peninsula.

The Muscat grape found its way to Rome and was brought by the Roman Legions to Gaul (encompassing present-day France). Over the centuries, it was planted in regions as disperse as the Crimea (Russia) and South Africa. Early Spanish and Italian immigrants brought it to America. In 1844, it arrived in Australia—the source of the grapes for the Gallo Family Muscato.

The Moscato grape is widely grown in Italy, where it is vinified into still and sparkling wines. Asti Spumante and its semi-sparkling cousin, Moscato d’Asti, are made in the Piedmont region, the northwest corner of Italy.

Moscato is light-bodied and low in alcohol—meaning that most people can have a second glass without overdoing it. The wine’s perfumed nose and lush palate burst with the seductive flavors of peach, honey, and citrus. The fresh acidity and delicate sweetness enable it to pair well with a broad variety of foods.

†Muscat and Oman was a country that encompassed the present-day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates.
 

 
Do you have a favorite way to serve Moscato? Let us know.
 
 

We look forward to trying different types of wine, especially those that are less familiar. As a result of our explorations, we now drink far less Chardonnay and much more Gewürtztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc and Riesling.

In the red wine arena, we’ve begun drinking more Rioja (ree-OH-ha), a wine produced in the La Rioja region in north-central Spain. The region also makes white and rosé wines, but the red wines are the most noteworthy.

Rioja is a fruity red wine with hints of spice and sometimes, coffee. Classic Riojas have the aging potential of Bordeaux; yet they’re more drinkable when young. They can be as satisfying as Bordeaux, at a half the price.

Like vintage Champagne, the best Rioja wines—reserve wines called reservas and gran reservas—are only made in great vintages. So, unlike with other reds, you don’t have to know whether the bottle you’re considering is a “good year.”

Get Mom a bottle and a book: The Wine Region Of Rioja.

Riojas are aged in oak barrels, and then further aged in the bottle before they are shipped from the wineries. When you find them in stores, you can drink them immediately—or lay them down to continue aging.

You can find the excellent 2001 vintage at retailers now. If you’re looking for a change of pace—or a Mother’s Day gift—pick up a bottle. Riservas can be bought in the $30 range (non-reserve Riojas for everyday drinking can be found for $10).

For a Mother’s Day gift—or for your own edification—combine the bottle of wine with the newly published book, The Wine Region Of Rioja. You may be tempted to take your next vacation there.

Gran Reserva Rioja

If you like Rioja reservas, you can graduate to the gran reservas: wines that are aged for six years at the winery (called a bodega in Spain). They then need to be put down to age for for 20 years after the vintage. They’re a treat for those who have the time to wait.

At age 20 or older, the black cherry and raspberry flavors of Rioja wines evolve to reveal secondary notes of leather and truffles. Mmm!

If you decide to buy a gran reserva gift, put a small label on the back of the bottle, such as “For Mother‘s Day 2012: Enjoy in 2025. From Beth and Tim.”

Two decades from now, they’ll thank you again!

Melt-in-your-mouth French macarons. Photo
by Oksana Shufrich | IST.

Great macarons are a memorable gift—and you can still get some in time for Mother’s Day.

This week’s Top Pick is Macaron Café in New York City: our current reigning favorite macaron.

Airy, delicate, melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies are made in dozens of flavors. Unlike many overly subtle macarons we’ve tried, these flavors are strong and delectable.

Macaron Café makes all the classic flavors, plus trendy favorites such as Caramel Fleur de Sel (salted caramel) and Nutella.

Check out the full review and treat yourself—or your favorite mom—to a box.

Macaron vs. macaroon: What’s the difference?

Find more of our favorite cookies and recipes in our Gourmet Cookies Section.

When it gives you a bottle of vodka and some vanilla beans, make vanilla extract.

Commercial vanilla extracts are 35% alcohol, by law. The alcohol is a neutral spirit, like vodka. So imagine how good your extract will be if you use a good-to-excellent vodka: Good enough to give as gifts!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE

Ingredients

You can buy top-quality vanilla extract, or you can make your own. Photo by Claire Freierman | THE NIBBLE.

 
 
Preparation

1. PREPARE JAR. Clean jar and implements with boiling water, to avoid any contaminants from impacting the extract flavoring.

2. PREPARE BEANS. With a damp cloth, wipe down the beans. Slit them lengthwise, leaving an inch at the top. The objective is to allow the flavorful seeds inside (the “caviar”) to macerate in the vodka, along with the whole pod.

3. ADD BEANS TO JAR. If you are using a jar that’s shorter than the beans, you can cut the beans in two-inch segments.

4. ADD VODKA & SHAKE. Don’t fill the jar to the rim; some water will leach out from the beans.

5. AGE & EXTRACT. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place. In 4 weeks, the vanilla will be ready to use in a pinch, but the extraction will continue to intensify the flavor for 6 months—the ideal time at which to use it. After that, the vanilla will continue to mature, like a fine wine, for years. The longer it ages, the more flavorful it will be.

6. BOTTLE. To give as gifts, use a coffee filter to strain into smaller bottles that have been washed in boiling water. Create your own label. You can include the type of vodka and the preparation and bottling dates.

7. GOING FORWARD. The vanilla beans are fully extracted after 6 months. They will dry out as the extract is used and they become exposed. You can remove the old beans and add new ones for more intense vanilla flavor; or you can start a new batch for gifting,

BOTTLES FOR GIFTS

If you start now, you can be giving your favorite bakers a holiday gift of homemade vanilla extract—made with a premium vodka, of course Here are four-ounce brown bottles. Start designing your label!

Just like the other herbs on your shelf, tea doesn’t maintain its flavor for years; it fades over time. Black, green or white, the fresher tea is, the better it is.

For your own enjoyment or for Mother’s Day gifting, you can now enjoy the freshest Darjeeling tea of the season, known as the first flush (the first plucking).

Darjeeling, high in the Himalayas, is a district and city in the Indian state of West Bengal, on the western border of Bangladesh. The tea plant’s winter dormancy period is over, and young leaves have sprouted over the Darjeeling hillsides.

Darjeeling tea is revered by many tea connoisseurs for its delicate muscatel flavor (which connoisseurs enjoy plain, without milk and sugar).

The Republic Of Tea has air-freighted a very limited quantity of this first flush tea to the U.S., so that tea lovers can enjoy the first tea of spring.

The tea comes from the Thurbo Estate, at an elevation of over 5,000 feet (Darjeeling ranges to 6,730 feet—light woolens are worn in summer). Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Thurbo tea plants grow alongside orange orchards and orchid vines.

Spring 2012 in Darjeeling was unusually dry. Quality was high, but yields were low, making this tea more rare than in other years.

Rich in essential oils, the leaves have an exquisite, sweet flavor and aroma. Pronounced muscatel notes are followed with a soft astringency and a lingering finish.

A Limited Edition

There’s just a limited amount of this special reserve tea available. A 3.5-ounce reusable tin, which makes 50-60 cups of tea, is $25.00.

The tea is certified kosher by OU and certified gluten free.

Get yours here.
Find everything you want to know about tea in our Tea Section.