Sales for Moscato wine in the United States rose more than 25 percent in 2012, notes Modesto, Calif.-based Gallo Family Vineyards, citing Chicago-based Information Resources Inc.’s total 2011 year-end January 2013 sales for total food and drug store retailers. The wine varietal has boosted overall wine sales and brought new consumers into the category, it says. To celebrate the excitement around this wine varietal, Gallo Family Vineyards will throw a national Twitter party in honor of National Moscato Day on May 9.

Last year, Gallo Family Vineyards dedicated the date to toast the varietal by engaging fans in a fun and educational conversation about Moscato. This year, the family-owned winery aims to bring people together around the topic of entertaining with wine.

Gallo Family Vineyards (@GalloFamily) will host the second annual National Moscato Day Twitter party from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on May 9. Throughout the party, participants can share and gather hosting tips, food pairing suggestions and wine facts by joining the conversation using the hashtag #MoscatoDay on Twitter.

"The legacy of my grandfather and great uncle, Ernest and Julio Gallo, is the importance of making quality and affordable wines that Americans want to enjoy during life's everyday moments," said Stephanie Gallo , vice president of marketing at E. & J. Gallo Winery and third-generation Gallo family member, in a statement. "For nearly 80 years, we have been joining Americans at the table, so it's exciting to see a particular wine style draw so many new people into the wine category. National Moscato Day was established to celebrate these newcomers and wine enthusiasts alike."

The wine label also invites consumers of legal drinking age to throw their own National Moscato Day parties to keep the wine conversations flowing. To lead the charge, Gallo Family Vineyards enlisted entertaining expert Robyn Moreno to provide entertaining tips.