For years the drinks most associated with hip-hop were distinctly aspirational.

In the past couple of years, Moscato - a more down to earth drink has cropped up in songs by Kanye West, Drake and Lil' Kim. This is one of the reasons why this sweet wine has become a particularly popular drink among the 20-30 age group,

Moscato, a slightly sweet, fizzy, low alcohol and inexpensive white wine with origins in Piedmont, Italy, has become the hip-hop community's new favourite drink. According to a report on decanter.com, sales have risen by 70% in the US in a year.

Trawling through songs about Moscato, I particularly like Drake’s efforts with a bit of food and wine matching, recommending Moscato with “lobster and shrimp”.

Drake has sold over five million albums worldwide and cites Kanye West and Jay-Z as big influences, and his lyrics are below:

“It’s a celebration Clap clap bravo

Lobster and shrimp And a glass of moscato

For the girl who’s a student

And her friend who’s a model

Finished the whole bottle.”

 In Australia, we have a hidden “Moscato” gem in the Holm Oak ‘TBR’ Moscato Duffy. Holm Oak are a small family owned winery and have been making Moscato and Muscat since 2007. There are many Muscat varieties that Moscato (and Muscat) can be made from, but the fruit Holm Oak choose to use is the “King of Muscats” - Muscat a Petit Grain Rouge. This variety has the most flavour intensity of all the Muscats. The Duffy family have been specialising in Muscat varieties for many years and were one of the first Moscato producers in Australia with the first release of their Devils Elbow Moscato released in 2002. Their 2011 Moscato won a Gold Medal at the Australian Small Winemakers Show.

The Holm Oak ‘TBR’ Moscato Duffy (see Holm Oak Duffy) is a refreshing and complex Moscato. The nose shows the classic floral and musk stick aromas that this variety is known for, but also has added spice flavours as a result of the extra skin contact.

It's not hard to see the appeal of moscato to rappers or indeed anyone else. At its best, moscato is pure, aromatic and unforced, sweet without being icky, and light (generally around 5.5%), all qualities that also make it perfect for a summer's afternoon.