Are rappers making Moscato more relevant?

Drake celebrates his 25th birthday at TAO nightclub in Las Vegas. The party was sponsored by MARTINI Moscato d'Asti.  (David Becker/Wire Image)

Moscato d'Asti, better known simply as 'Moscato', is a wine from the Italian province of Asti, and is derived from the Muscat grape. It was served primarily with deserts to a relatively small audience until hip-hop and R&B artists became enamored with it.

Singer Trey Songz name checks it in one of his songs, "I Invented Sex," "It's a celebration. Clap, clap, bravo. Lobster and shrimp and a glass of Moscato ...finish the whole bottle." Meanwhile, rappers like Waka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash, and Drake all have hits in which they've dropped the name of the wine, in a trend that appears to coincide with its rising sales.

Nobu Otsu opened Harlem's The Winery in 2008, just as the recession was taking hold. He concedes that his store, frequented by many young black men and women, has benefited from the popularity of Moscato.

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