Muscadine Wines Are Foxy Fine

recently consumed

wine: muscadine and scuppernong

tasting notes

In the 1500s, Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon discovered Florida while searching for the Fountain of Youth. While many still argue over whether or not he found the source for eternal life, what Ponce de Leon did find was a land rich in large fruits and more specifically the native muscadine grapes. They were “on the sand and on the green soil, on the hills as on the plains, as well as on every little shrub… in all the world the like abundance is not to be found.”

The muscadine grape is especially unique (and even larger variety scuppernong) in the fact that it was the first native American grape made to yield wine. The family name “rotunda-fullia” is appropriate as the grapes are so large that they more resemble small plums than grapes. The result is a sweet, musk-scented grape that has been described by oenophiles have described as “foxy”, a descriptor that conjures up wet fur, overripe grapes, and damp woods.

Recently, I sat down with my husband and my mom to experience these uniquely Southern wines. Paired with sweet potato biscuits, fried green tomatoes, and a scuppernong-glazed pork loin, here is what we experienced:

HENSCRATCH FARMS VINEYARD & WINERY

The Henscratch Scuppernong was really intense. It was very sweet with a strong white grape flavor and hints of pear. The mouthful was think and round with a honeysuckle finish. It reminded me of those sticky honeydew popsicle I would have on hot days during the Alabama summers at my Grandma’s house.

The Henscratch Muscadine tasted of strawberries and cream with a rustic musty finish. It smells of light perfume with a thick syrup texture. Gets a little sickeningly sweet after a while but makes a fine Charleston Cocktail (tea, lemonade, vodka, muscadine, mint).

DUPLIN WINERY

The white Duplin Carlos Muscadine smells of musty old white fruit and forest, like rain and mild apple. The flavor packs a tart punch and a dry finish. But after the first spark it becomes mild on the palate, refreshing grape, like a mild but tasty Gewurztraminer.

Overall, some tasty and unique wines that went well with the Southern cuisine. You can imagine kicking back on a hot and humid night on an Alabama front porch with a glass of chilled muscadine in hand.

To make the occasion more southerly, we watched Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus. It was a musical documentary about the life and culture in the deep Pentecostal backwoods South. These people continue the tradition of Ponce de Leon, searching for everlasting life in the worship and the blood of the Lord.

Maybe it’s something in the muscadine? Actually, I’m not even joking. The muscadine grape with it’s thick skin is able to retain great amounts of antioxidants. The grape also contains an extra set of chromosomes that produces phytonutrients and resveratrol. Resveratrol has been studied for its life-extending benefits and is thought to be tied to the French Paradox.

Maybe Ponce de Leon found the Fountain of Youth after all.

suggested pairings

• The “foxy” flavor of muscadine wine
• The health benefits of muscadine grape
• The Mother Vine, a 400 year old scuppernong vine in North Caroline still used to produce wine
• More about the Fountain of Youth

technorati tags: muscadine, scuppernong, fountain of youth