Wines made from Muscat Ottonel grapes of Nova Scotia
Discover the best wines made with Muscat Ottonel as a single variety or as a blend of Nova Scotia.
Muscat Ottonel has the character of a grape variety with a distant lineage. It was first obtained in 1839 and continues to be planted in nearly 2,000 hectares of vineyards around the world. It shows good vigour and promises satisfactory production, of the order of 6 kilos per vine. The bunches, which are rather loose, are quite large, bearing berries with a strong character. A pleasantly musky flavour and a lot of juice characterize the pulp, protected by a medium skin. The bluish-black skin contributes to the exceptional beauty of the vineyards at harvest time. The size of the ellipsoidal berries is another argument in favor of Muscat Ottonel, which is also known as Muscat Ottone or Muscadet Ottonel. Resin, toast, honey and wild flowers are all present in the wines made from this variety. If the foliage, which turns yellow in autumn, is one of its charms, remember to protect the fruit from grey rot and coulure.
Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s maritime provinces, located halfway between the equator and the North Pole. While the region is not as famous for its wines as Ontario and British Columbia, there is a flourishing wine industry based largely on Sparkling wines and crisp white wines made from Grape varieties such as Vidal, Seyval Blanc, and the province's signature L'Arcadie Blanc variety. Nova Scotia is surrounded by three bodies of water, with the Atlantic Ocean to the South, the Bay of Fundy in the northwest and the Gulf of St Lawrence in the north. If it were an island it would be around the same area as Tasmania and almost the same relative latitude.