A Muscat to Remember

Prologue:

...Good from the beginning...

• 1982 Robert Pecota MUSCATO DI ANDREA—"Lovely fruit and crisp acid. Delightful."

• 1983 MUSCATO DI ANDREA—"Spicy, fruity, charming, superb."

• 1984 "Pecota has a way with the Muscat, giving exceptional subtlety to the variety. Not to be missed."

The Rest of the Story: San Francisco's Mary Battin has as much finesse in the kitchen as Robert Pecota does in the winery. She served the latest (1996) Andrea with a warm apricot souffle. Kara, Robert's daughter told me "apricot and citrus dominate the wine's taste impressions." It was a perfect pair.

The Wine:
1996 Moscato D'Andrea, Napa Valley
Robert Pecota Winery
Calistoga, CA
Contact—Kara Pecota (707) 942-6625
Price—$9 (375 ml.)

Postscript: There is no better example of what makes America run than Robert Pecota. One day I asked the sole worker (dragging hoses, connecting pumps, etc.) where I could find Mr. Pecota. "You're looking at him," was the answer. So it's not surprising that his philosophy includes: "Healthy, educated persons make a positive contribution to our free society. Cut out the bureaucratic regulators ... And put them to work as school teachers and nurses (and producers of fine wines)!"

About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Read more articles by Fred McMillin in the WineDay Annex

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