Variety: Predominantly Moscato, with a small amount of other white grapes
Region: Itata Valley, Chile
Cost: $6 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Bright yellow in color with golden reflections. Aromas of fresh-cut fruit on the nose, followed by delicate floral notes and hints of honey. The palate is refreshing, with a soft sweetness; ripe fruit flavors are balanced by a nice backbone of acidity. The perfect cocktail wine, pair with salty appetizers, spicy entrees, and even desserts.
My Review: I’m always a bit hesitant when I get a white blend without knowing what the blend is ahead of time. Moments like this are why I have that apprehension.
I’ve had Frontera wines before, and while they’re not anything that blows my socks off, they’re perfectly fine as Tuesday night wine with pizza, or for that third bottle of wine on a Saturday (we all do it…don’t judge me). The Moonlight White, however, just didn’t work for me, and I tried everything I could to make it work.
In the glass the wine was a nice yellow color, and on the nose I picked up white flowers and soft citrus. In the mouth the wine had body to it, coating the palate with flavors of honey and juicy fruit. Unfortunately, none of the advertised acidity really came through for me, which is a shame, because it may have saved the experience.
We paired the wine with some curry chicken tika masala over rice, and when pairing the wine with the food it was serviceable – the heat of the food did a nice job of balancing with the sweetness of the wine to where neither was overwhelming.
On its own, however, the wine was just too sweet for me. If you prefer some sweetness to your wine, or if you’re looking to turn something into a spritzer, this may be the wine for you, but especially in December, I found it really hard to force myself to drink a sweeter white wine.
While the wine is certainly budget friendly, I personally couldn’t get over the sweetness of the wine, and it’s not one I’ll be picking up any time soon. If you’re looking for a subtle sweetness (because it’s certainly not cloying) this may be your new budget wine, but anybody adverse to sweet should keep walking past this on the shelf.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
