What is the difference between Muscat, Port and Tokay?
Muscat and Tokay are varietals, ie they are produced from grapes of the same name. Muscat is a red grape so the wine has red hues (interestingly, Brown Muscat is one of only a handful of varieties where the red colour is derived from the pulp, not the skin). Tokay on the other hand is a white grape, so the wine takes on golden amber hues courtesy of the gentle oxidative effect of barrel ageing. Vineyard management, picking times, vinification, storage and blending are all very similar for Muscat and Tokay. Differences occur in the colour and flavour profiles, with descriptions of Muscat typically including rose petal fruit cake, raisin fruit, and freshly crushed grapes (Muscat is one of the few varieties where a natural grapey flavour is evident, most notably in the foundation classification, Rutherglen Muscat.) Tokay descriptions can include toffee, caramel, malt, butterscotch, and tea leaf. For both Muscat and Tokay, the flavour of the wine is driven by the varieties extended barrel
