Mimosas are a popular brunch and celebration drink, typically made by mixing orange juice and sparkling wine. Barefoot Moscato is an inexpensive sweet sparkling wine that could potentially be used in mimosas instead of the traditional champagne or prosecco. But is it a good option? There are several factors to consider when evaluating whether Barefoot Moscato makes tasty mimosas.
What is Moscato Wine?
Moscato is a sweet, fizzy white wine made from Muscat grapes. It has flavors of peach, apricot, and honey with a light effervescence. Moscato wines often have low alcohol content, around 5-7%.
Barefoot Moscato in particular is an inexpensive moscato from California made by E&J Gallo Winery. It has vibrant, fruity aromas of orange blossoms and tangerine. On the palate, Barefoot Moscato is sweet and bubbly with flavors of ripe peaches, honey, and lemon-lime. It has about 8% alcohol.
Pros of Using Barefoot Moscato for Mimosas
There are a few potential advantages to using Barefoot Moscato rather than champagne or prosecco when making mimosas:
- Cost – Barefoot Moscato is very inexpensive, usually under $5 a bottle. This makes it budget-friendly for making pitchers of mimosas for a group.
- Sweetness – The sweetness of moscato balances well with the tart orange juice in mimosas. It creates a drink that is sweeter than traditional mimosas.
- Fruit flavors – The prominent stone fruit and citrus notes in Barefoot Moscato pair nicely with orange juice.
- Low alcohol – With just 8% ABV, moscato has less alcohol than many champagnes and proseccos. This makes it a lighter option for daytime brunches.
Cons of Using Barefoot Moscato for Mimosas
However, there are also some downsides to using Barefoot Moscato instead of champagne or prosecco:
- Less complexity – While tasty, Barefoot Moscato lacks the complex aromas and flavors of fine champagne or prosecco. It has simpler fruit flavors.
- Less bubbly – Moscato generally has softer, smaller bubbles compared to the crisp effervescence champagne is known for.
- Too sweet for some – While the sweetness balances the orange juice, some may find it makes the mimosas overly sweet and one-dimensional.
- Not traditional – Purists argue that mimosas are defined by the combination of orange juice and champagne or prosecco.
Taste Test: Barefoot Moscato Mimosas vs. Traditional Mimosas
To compare mimosas made with Barefoot Moscato and traditional mimosas made with champagne, a taste test was performed.
Three mimosa recipes were tested:
- Traditional – made with champagne
- Barefoot Moscato
- Half champagne, half moscato
In all recipes, the orange juice to sparkling wine ratio was kept consistent at 1:2. The same fresh-squeezed orange juice was used. The champagne was an affordable brut champagne.
Appearance
| Mimosa Type | Appearance Notes |
|---|---|
| Traditional champagne | Pale golden color, abundant bubbly effervescence |
| Barefoot Moscato | Slightly peach color, less bubbly than champagne |
| Half champagne, half moscato | Peach golden hue, lively bubbles |
The moscato mimosas has a subtle peach color while the traditional champagne mimosas are pale golden in hue. The moscato also has visibly less bubbly effervescence.
Aroma
| Mimosa Type | Aroma Notes |
|---|---|
| Traditional champagne | Citrus, stone fruit, biscuity champagne notes |
| Barefoot Moscato | Bright citrus, strong peach sweetness |
| Half champagne, half moscato | Balanced citrus and stone fruit |
The moscato mimosa smells strongly of sweet peach along with bright citrus. The champagne version has more complex aromas of citrus, biscuit, and stone fruit.
Taste
| Mimosa Type | Taste Notes |
|---|---|
| Traditional champagne | Dry, crisp, with elegant citrus and mineral notes |
| Barefoot Moscato | Very sweet initially, juicy peach and orange flavors |
| Half champagne, half moscato | Balanced sweetness, nice complexity of fruit flavors |
The moscato mimosa is distinctly sweeter, with luscious peach and orange flavors. The champagne version is crisp and dry, with delicate citrus notes. The half and half mimosa brings together the best of both with balanced sweetness and complexity of flavors.
Mouthfeel
| Mimosa Type | Mouthfeel Notes |
|---|---|
| Traditional champagne | Light, airy bubbles, clean finish |
| Barefoot Moscato | Fizzy but less bubbly, viscous |
| Half champagne, half moscato | Lively bubbles, smooth |
The traditional champagne mimosa has an airy, light mouthfeel with fine bubbles. The moscato is less effervescent and slightly thicker on the palate. The hybrid mimosa combines the best textural elements of each.
Conclusion
The taste test revealed positives and negatives to using Barefoot Moscato in mimosas. On the plus side, the Moscato adds sweet stone fruit flavors and pairs well with orange juice. The lower alcohol content is also nice for daytime drinking.
However, for purists, champagne is still the best choice to get the classic dry, crisp bubbly profile that defines a mimosa. Moscato lacks some of the complexity expected from champagne or prosecco.
The ideal solution may be a blend using half moscato and half champagne or prosecco. This balances the flavors and highlights the nuances of each sparkling wine. Barefoot Moscato can be an affordable way to make a sweeter, fruitier mimosa for those looking for something different than the traditional version. But champagne is still the gold standard when it comes to the perfect, timeless mimosa flavor profile.
