Asti Spumante has long had a PR problem: Most hard-core wine worshipers wouldn't be caught dead drinking it. Answering "Asti Spumante" to the question "And has the gentleman made a wine selection?" just doesn't work here.

In the Piedmont region of Italy where the wine is made, and throughout the rest of Italy, Asti Spumante is taken for what it is: A sweet, sparkling, simple wine, made from very fragrant Muscat grapes, that tastes delightful with light fruit desserts or all by itself. One can say it's excellent as either a meal closer or a deal closer.

But American wine lovers don't buy it. Suspecting the American audience needed a fresh introduction to the wine, the makers of Asti Spumante changed its name a few years back ... to Asti! Didn't work. Self-respecting wine geeks still avoided it like the plague.

And that's why it's good to know that something slightly better than Asti exists -- a wine with a slightly higher pedigree, slightly better taste, and most important of all, a slightly more refined name. I am speaking of Asti's kissin' Piedmontese cousin, Moscato d'Asti.

For some reason, Americans find it easier to say -- and order -- "Moscato d'Asti." Perhaps it's the price that makes a difference: Asti goes for about ten bucks a bottle, Moscato d'Asti will cost you $12 to $15. It is less sweet than Asti (though still sweet), lower in alcohol (usually between 5% and 7.5%, which is very low), and has less forceful pressure than Asti (so it's fizzy, not fully sparkling). While it comes from the same grapes and is grown in the same area, I suspect the general quality of Moscato d'Asti is higher than that of Asti if only because producers know they can get more money for it.

One of the best times to try Moscato d'Asti is springtime. It's absolutely scrumptious with a bowl of strawberries after a picnic or al fresco dinner. The label I always look for is Cascinetta, produced by Vietti; Paolo Sarocco and Ceretto also make good versions.

Moscato d'Asti is best when it's young, so for spring 2002 you should be drinking the 2001. When you pour it with the strawberries, you will observe one of the cosmic matches between food and wine, a fit so good it will make most people cry.

Excerpted from FOODTV.com