alcohol level that varies depending on the vintage and is usually between 7-9.5%. Asti get their fizziness from a single fermentation that takes place in stainless steel tanks (as opposed to a secondary fermentation taking place in a wine bottle like Champagne). After the grapes are harvested, they are crushed and pressed, with the must transferred to large tanks where the temperature is lowered to just above freezing in order to prevent fermentation from beginning. The tanks are sealed and pressurized, and then the temperature is raised to allow fermentation to begin. Within the tanks the carbon dioxide by-product of fermentation is trapped with the gas dissolving into the wine and creating the ultimate source of the bubbles that are seen in a wine glass. Fermentation is allowed to continue until the wine has reached between 7-9% alcohol and between 3-5% residual sugar. The wine is chilled again to halt fermentation before it is sent to a centrifuge that filters and removes all yeast from the wine to prevent fermentation from resuming. The wine is then bottled and shipped. Most Asti is not vintage-dated, however the large consumption and quick turnover of the wine usually means that the wines on the market are from the most recent vintage. Wine styles Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan notes that many of the flavors of Asti wine can be tasted in the ripe grapes of Moscato bianco. This is somewhat unusual in wine since many of the flavors of a finished wine come from phenolic compounds in the pulp and skin that develop in the wine through fermentation and maceration of the skins. In describing a finished Asti wine, Ewing-Mulligan notes that the wines usually have very floral aromas with peach flavors and enough acidity to balance out the sweetness in the wine. According to wine expert Karen MacNeil modern Asti wines have the characteristic "muskiness" of a Muscat based wine but are "not sugary sweet like candy but, rather, dizzyingly fruity and evocative of perfectly ripe peaches and apricots." The wines are typically served chilled and in a champagne flute style glass. Asti is often consumed very young and as close to the vintage as possible. After two years, the wine rapidly loses the fresh, floral notes and becomes heavier and richer in body. While still drinkable, older Asti tends not to exhibit the typical light, fruity flavors that are usually associated