Moscato di Scanzo DOCG is a red passito wine from the hills of Scanzorosciate, northeast of Bergamo in Lombardy. Its vineyards occupy ventilated slopes, generally with southern exposure, in the foothills of the Alps. The undulating landscape, marked day-to-night temperature variation, and free-draining soils of calcareous marl and sandy deposits encourage gradual, complete ripening while preserving freshness. The denomination is produced exclusively from Moscato di Scanzo, an indigenous dark-skinned Muscat variety that is distinctly different from the more familiar white Muscat grapes.
The vine bears small, loose bunches with thick-skinned berries and a notable capacity for concentration. Balanced vigour, careful canopy management, and selective picking are essential in the vineyard. Only perfectly sound, fully ripe grapes are chosen for drying. Following harvest, they are naturally dried in well-ventilated rooms. This appassimento process concentrates sugars, acidity, pigments, and the variety’s aromatic precursors, without recourse to fortification or enrichment.
After gentle destemming and pressing, the concentrated must undergoes a slow, closely managed fermentation, often including a period of skin contact to develop colour, structure, and aromatic complexity. Fermentation stops naturally when alcohol, residual sweetness, and extract find their equilibrium. A prolonged maturation period follows, shaping the wine’s supple texture and integrating notes of dried red berries, rose, spice, sage, and subtle balsamic nuances.
Moscato di Scanzo has been linked to this small area around Bergamo for centuries. Its identity rests on the local preservation of the grape and on the inherited practice of drying selected fruit. DOCG status protects a singular wine style in which the character of Moscato di Scanzo is inseparable from the sunlit, Alpine-influenced hills of Scanzorosciate.
