10 Sep Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Cuatro Dias 2023 Orange Moscato, Paso Robles

The word Moscato makes you think the wine will be sweet. The aromatic nose will also imply the same. But The Cuatros Dias 2023 Orange Moscato from Paso Robles will trick you as it is not sweet. It is a dry wine, full of acidity, and that is why it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Cuatro Dias

Greg Allen, owner and winemaker of Cuatro Dias, didn’t start out in wine. He spent over 20 years as a full-time firefighter and paramedic in West Covina and Redondo Beach. But during the quiet hours between shifts, a new passion took hold. What began as a creative outlet soon became a calling.

Without formal training, Greg dove into UC Davis enology courses and learned the rest hands-on in Paso Robles. In 2020, he launched Cuatro Dias, Spanish for “Four Days”. The name is a nod to the rhythm of his firefighting life: four days on, four days off. And he would spend those off days in Paso, learning, working, and eventually making wine.

Greg has been making wine for 25 years now, and Cuatro Dias is still a one-man show. Greg handles everything from sourcing sustainably farmed fruit to bottling, often with help from fellow firefighters. His winemaking philosophy is simple: honor the vineyard, don’t overwork the wine, and trust your gut.

About Orange Muscat

The Muscat grape is a family of over 200 grape varieties. There are Muscat grapes ranging in colors from white and yellow to pink and almost black. Muscat grapes produce floral aromatics, and the grapes are used for raisins, table grapes, and wines ranging from dry to sweet and from still to sparkling.

Orange Muscat is actually a crossing of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (the Muscat grape found in Moscato d’Asti) and Chasselas (a Swiss grape known for fruity, floral, and mineral flavors and good acidity. Orange Muscat is a grape variety grown mainly in the USA, Italy, and Australia, with some vines in France. And like its name, it is known for having strong orange aromas. While Orange Muscat is associated with sweet wines, there are versions of dry wine, such as the Cuatros Dias Orange Muscat.

Tasting Notes

Greg sources his Orange Muscat from the Four Sisters Ranch in Pleasant Valley on the northeast side of Paso Robles. Greg picked the grapes early and fermented it in a cold tank with no exposure to oxygen. The wine has beautiful aromatics! There are notes of apricot, citrus, Mandarin orange, honeycomb, pear, and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is bone-dry with vibrant yet delicate acidity that lingers.

Food Pairing

Greg likes to cook, and he makes wines that will pair with food. He suggested pairing this wine with a cheese and charcuterie plate, scallops, or oysters. I decided to order sweet and sour chicken to enjoy with the wine.

Where To Purchase

The Cuatro Dias 2023 Orange Muscat, Paso Robles retails for $28. It can be purchased directly from the Cuatro Dias website.