The
Muscat family of grapes include over 200
grape varieties belonging to the
Vitis vinifera species that have been used in
wine production and as
raisin and
table grapes around the globe for many centuries. Their
colors ranges from white (such as
Muscat Ottonel), to yellow (
Moscato Giallo), to pink (Moscato rosa del Trentino) to near black (
Muscat Hamburg). Muscat grapes and wines almost always have a pronounced sweet floral
aroma. The breadth and number of varieties of Muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the
Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.