muscatel, muscadel
(mʌskəˈtɛl, -ˈdɛl)
Forms: α. 4–5 muskadelle, (5 -cadelle), 5–8 muscadell, (6 -cadle, 7 -cadall, 6 mosscadell), 6–7 muskadel(l, (6 -kadyll, -kedele, Sc. -kedall), 5– muscadel, 6– muscatel. β. 6 muscaldella, -tello, 7 moscadelli, muscitella, 9 moscatello.
[a. OF. muscadel, muscatel, a. Pr. *muscadel, dim. of muscat: see muscat. The β forms come from the equivalent It. moscadello, moscatello. Cf. Sp., Pg. moscatel.]
1. A strong sweet wine made from the muscat or similar grape.
The name is now applied to several wines, both white and red, made in Europe, Australia, and California.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 236 Malvesye and muskadelle, þase mervelyous drynkes, Raykede fulle raythely in rossete cowpes. 1464 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 251 For a quarte of muskadelle, at mastyr Hoys, iiij. d. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 53 b, There groweth the myghty swete wynes as malueseys, tyeres, & muscadels. 1535 Coverdale Isa. xxvii. 2 At the same tyme shal men synge of the vynyarde of Muscatel. 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. iv. iv, You shal..drinke in pailes the strongest Muscadell. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iii. ii. 174. 1634 R. H. Salernes Regim. 42 The moderate dulce or sweet wine is chosen, and not that that is exceeding dulce, as Muskadell. 1704 Collect. Voy. (Churchill) III. 8/1 The Wines are..generous..: The best kind is the Muscatel. 1785 J. Phillips Treat. Inland. Navig. p. vii, Muscadell wines. 1867 Australasian 9 Feb. 186/1 Australian Wines in the Indian Market... The Muscatel has plenty of body. 1892 E. Reeves Homeward Bound 92 S―h's Special Old Port,..at 35s. per dozen,..and their ladies' muscatel at 25s. 1958 A. L. Simon Dict. Wines, Spirits, & Liqueurs 117 Muscatel, the name of a sweet fortified wine made in California. Also, in England, that of a cheap, sweet, white, sparkling wine, usually flavoured with elderberry flowers essence. 1967 A. Lichine Encycl. Wines & Spirits 374/1 In California a regrettable quantity of fortified wine known as ‘Muscatel’ is sold as a substitute for spirits. |
| β 1554–5 Burgh Rec. Edin. (1871) II. 283, xvj quarts wyne muscaldella. 1605 B. Jonson Volpone ii. ii, What auayles your rich man to haue his magazines stuft with Moscadelli? 1632 Lithgow Trav i. 15 The..wine that is drunke in Rome, is..Albano, Muscatello, Sheranino. 1683 Pepys Diary at Tangier in Life, etc. (1841) I. 430 The soldiers..had staved all his wine, not only good white-wine,..but canary and muscatella. 1833 C. Redding Mod. Wines 241 Their sweet wines the Italians call Abbocati; their dry they denominate Asciati. Of the former kind are the Moscatello, Aleatico [etc.]. Ibid. 246 Moscatello wines. |
2. A variety of grape (in full
muscatel grape); also the vine bearing it.
= muscadine 2.
| 1517 [see malvoisie 2]. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Apianus, The muscadell grape. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 407 As touching the Muscadell Vines, Apianæ, they tooke that name of Bees, which are so much delighted in them... These Muscadell grapes like wel and loue cold countries. 1699 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (ed. 9) 174 [A catalogue of..excellent Fruit-Trees.] Vines..Muscatell, Black, White, excellent. 1763 Mills Pract. Husb. IV. 371 The chasselas, otherwise called muscadel. 1851 C. Redding Mod. Wines (ed. 3) 201 The large white Muscatel grape. 1854 Longfellow Catawba Wine ii, The Muscadel That bask in our garden alleys. 1886 Encycl. Brit. XX. 258/2 Raisins..are prepared from a variety of muscatel grape. |
| β 1707 Mortimer Husb. 556 The Muscadella..is a White Grape, not so big as the Muscadine. |
3. pl. In full
muscatel raisins. Raisins prepared from the muscatel grape, Malaga raisins.
| 1652 Heylin Cosmogr. ii. 267 Cephalenia... Plentifull in..Muscadels. 1833 C. Redding Mod. Wines 187 The first [gathering of Malaga grapes]..furnishes the Muscatel raisins. 1870 Yeats Nat. Hist. Comm. ii. i. (1872) 181 We receive..fine Muscatels, or sun-dried raisins,..from Malaga. |
† 4. A variety of pear.
Obs.| 1555 Eden Decades 198 The frute is much lyke the muscadell peares of the Ilande of Sicilie. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 77 The Muskadel peare is very delicate, especially when it is dried. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece ii. iii. 383 And these Pears;..Jargonelle, Muscadella [etc.]. |