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Moscato d'Asti is lightly fizzy, Asti is fully sparkling, and many other Moscatos are still.
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Wine Comparisons
Both are Italian, both can sparkle, and both are easy to love. But one is a crisp toasting wine and the other is a sweet, peachy treat with half the alcohol.
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Prosecco and Moscato often sit next to each other on the shelf, but they serve different purposes. Prosecco is a fully sparkling wine made to be crisp and refreshing. Most bottles are labeled Brut, which is dry, or Extra Dry, which carries just a touch of sweetness. Moscato is about sweetness and aroma. It is made from the Muscat family of grapes, one of the few varieties whose wine actually smells and tastes like fresh grapes. In the classic Moscato d’Asti, fermentation is stopped early, leaving plenty of natural grape sugar and only around 5 to 6 percent alcohol, roughly half that of Prosecco. Its bubbles are gentle, a style Italians call frizzante. So the simple split is this: Prosecco for crisp celebrations, Moscato for sweet sipping and dessert.
Prosecco tastes of green apple, pear, white peach, melon, and honeysuckle. It is light-bodied, with lively acidity and frothy, fully sparkling bubbles, and alcohol around 11 percent. Even an Extra Dry Prosecco tastes refreshing rather than sugary. Moscato tastes of ripe peach, apricot, orange blossom, mandarin, honeysuckle, and fresh table grapes. It is clearly sweet, with soft acidity balancing the sugar, and a light, delicate body. Moscato d’Asti has a gentle prickle of bubbles rather than a full sparkle, which makes it feel soft on the tongue. Asti, sometimes called Asti Spumante, is the fully sparkling sweet version and a little stronger. Many inexpensive Moscatos from California and Australia are still or lightly fizzy, and pink Moscato adds red-berry flavor. If you are deciding by sweetness, our sweet wine guide can help.
Prosecco comes from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions of northeast Italy and is made mostly from the Glera grape. Its bubbles are created in large pressurized tanks, a fast method that keeps the wine fresh and fruity. Look for Prosecco Superiore DOCG from Conegliano Valdobbiadene for the best quality. Moscato’s Italian home is Piedmont in the northwest, where the Moscato Bianco grape grows on hillsides in the provinces of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria. Moscato d’Asti and Asti are both protected DOCG wines from this area. Muscat grapes are grown worldwide, too. California and Australia make large amounts of affordable sweet Moscato, and the grape also appears in fortified dessert wines in southern France and Australia. That means the word Moscato on a label can cover several styles, so check whether it is still, frizzante, or spumante.
Prosecco is a classic aperitivo. Serve it with prosciutto and melon, salty snacks, light appetizers, fried calamari, or sushi. It is also the base of spritzes and Bellinis and a natural partner for brunch dishes like eggs Benedict. Moscato’s sweetness makes it a dessert wine that is light enough not to feel heavy. It is lovely with fruit tarts, peach cobbler, panna cotta, lemon cake, and fresh strawberries. One rule: the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert, or it will taste thin and sour, so skip very rich chocolate cake. Moscato is also surprisingly good with spicy food, since sweetness and low alcohol soothe chili heat, and with salty blue cheese. For savory dinners, Prosecco is far more flexible; for dessert and spicy takeout, Moscato wins.
Both are affordable. Most Prosecco DOC sells for about $10 to $18, and Prosecco Superiore DOCG often costs a few dollars more. Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont usually runs $12 to $20, while mass-market California and Australian Moscato can cost under $10. The bigger difference is alcohol. Moscato d’Asti, at around 5 to 6 percent, is one of the lightest wines you can buy and a good choice when you want a glass without much alcohol; see our low-alcohol wine guide for more options. Prosecco sits around 11 percent, still lighter than most still wines. Both are meant to be enjoyed young. Moscato d’Asti especially loses its fresh, grapey perfume within a year or two, so buy the most recent vintage and do not cellar it.
Choose Prosecco for toasts, parties, cocktails, mimosas, and pairing with savory food. It is the better all-rounder and the right call when you need a lot of bubbles at a friendly price. Choose Moscato if you love sweet, fruity drinks, want a low-alcohol option, or need something to pour with dessert or a spicy meal. It is also a great starter wine for people who find most wine too dry or bitter. Serve both cold. Prosecco is best at about 40 to 45°F, and Moscato d’Asti around 40 to 45°F as well, so its sweetness stays fresh rather than syrupy. Use a tulip-shaped or white wine glass to catch their aromas. For more comparisons, see Riesling vs Moscato and Champagne vs Prosecco.
| Attribute | Prosecco | Moscato (d'Asti) |
|---|---|---|
| Grape | Glera | Moscato Bianco (Muscat) |
| Region | Veneto and Friuli, northeast Italy | Piedmont, northwest Italy; also California, Australia |
| Sweetness | Dry (Brut) to lightly off-dry (Extra Dry) | Clearly sweet |
| Bubbles | Fully sparkling | Gently fizzy (frizzante); Asti is fully sparkling |
| Alcohol | About 11% | About 5–6% for Moscato d'Asti |
| Best with | Prosciutto, appetizers, brunch, spritzes | Fruit tarts, strawberries, spicy takeout |
Moscato d'Asti is lightly fizzy, Asti is fully sparkling, and many other Moscatos are still.
Pick a wine at least as sweet as the dessert, or the wine will taste sour.
Buy the latest vintage; Moscato's fresh grape aroma fades quickly with age.
Learn Your Taste
Answer a few simple questions and discover styles that fit your palate.
Take the Wine QuizYes, much sweeter. Moscato is made to keep lots of natural grape sugar and tastes clearly sweet. Prosecco is usually dry or only lightly off-dry; even Extra Dry Prosecco is far less sweet than Moscato.
Sometimes. Moscato d'Asti is lightly sparkling, Asti is fully sparkling, and many Moscatos from California and Australia are still or barely fizzy. The label usually tells you which style you are buying.
Prosecco has more, typically around 11 percent. Moscato d'Asti is often only 5 to 6 percent because its fermentation is stopped early to keep sweetness, making it one of the lightest wines available.
You can, but the result will be quite sweet, since orange juice adds more sugar. A dry Prosecco or Cava makes a more balanced mimosa. If you like sweet brunch drinks, a splash of Moscato with peach purée works well.
Moscato tastes of ripe peach, apricot, orange blossom, mandarin, and fresh grapes. It is sweet, light-bodied, and soft in acidity, and Moscato d'Asti adds a gentle, tingling fizz.
Yes. Prosecco is light, fruity, refreshing, and affordable, with apple and pear flavors that most people enjoy. If you prefer sweeter drinks, start with an Extra Dry Prosecco or try Moscato d'Asti.
