| Big Canoe Wine Group goes native in latest wine tasting |
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Locally available Muscadine, Norton wines sampled, rated
Wayne on Wine
The Big Canoe Wine Group often helps research wines for this column by conducting a blind tasting of a particular varietal or blend. This month the group sampled wines from the traditional Southern grapes: Muscadine and Norton. Six hundred miles northeast of Big Canoe, the Scuppernong River in North Carolina flows into Albemarle Sound as you travel toward Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks.In 1524 Giovanni de Verrazano—an Italian explorer and the man behind the name of a New York bridge—while observing and mapping the Sound and the Cape Fear River Valley observed “white grapes” growing naturally. Derived from these grapes is Scuppernong, the most important white wine grape (green or bronze in color) of the Muscadine family and indigenous to the southeastern United States. This sweet scented grape is a mainstay in the South for wines, pies, fresh fruits and jams and is “America’s first grape.” Muscadine grapes have many names in the South, including Bullace and Southern Fox Grape. More likely readers will be familiar with other name varieties comparable to Scuppernong, including Hunt, Blackberry Bramble, Carolina Red, and Magnolia. First Native American grapes cultivated
Muscadines are large thick skinned grapes with a musky flavor, but notably resistant to disease and pests, thus its growing success in the hot and humid south. They were the first Native American grapes to be cultivated. These grapes do not stand alone as indigenous cultivars others include Fox, Frost, Summer, Mustang and Sand all representing distinctive native spices. These spices contribute to a host of better known wine grapes and hybrids that include Norton, Concord, Niagara, Catawba, Cayuga white, and Baco Noir to name a few. In the wine tasting for this article the Big Canoe Wine Group had more than a few marginal Muscadines so be prepared to try a few as you look for keepers. Wine combined with food enhances the tasting experience and inspires wine devotees to seek out distinctive pairings. Muscadine wine—white, blush or red—on the palate ranges in flavor from semi-sweet to very sweet with citrus zests. Pair with fruit, soft cheeses, chicken, pork and shrimp; for sweet wines pair with fruit desserts or sherbet. Norton earns its glass Norton is the official grape of Missouri with its origins in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Daniel Norton cultivated the first Norton’s in the early 1800s in Richmond and the wine has seen a resurgence in growth in Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina, Kansas, Illinois, and other mid-western and mid-Atlantic states. 
Perhaps one measure of a wine’s growing acceptance is the January 2010 decision by the Austrian wine glass company Riedel to produce a Norton wine tasting glass. Norton is available locally at Tiger Mountain Vineyards, Tiger, Georgia, http://www.tigerwine.com/index.html.Norton grapes offer another tasting experience with a full bodied dry wine with cherry tart flavor. This wine may be the most approachable Native American wine for those who have come to enjoy the more commonly grown Vitis vinifera grapes like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Shop around, like the Muscadine wines not all of these wines are well crafted. Our recent tasting experience over multiple Norton’s would suggest decanting. These wines are light red to dark red with noticeable complex structure in the wine with firmer tannins. Pair this wine with grilled meats, baked or grilled salmon, grilled summer sausage or venison and a chocolate based sweet. Again, review the shopping list on the Chrysalis site as a guide to locating Norton wines or visit http://www.nortonsays.com/AskNorton.aspx an all-purpose Norton wine site sponsored by the Missouri Wine & Grape Board for food pairings and Norton facts. Wines drinking well now Cypress Bend Christina's Magnolia, Wagram, North Carolina priced at $12.00: This is a dry white Muscadine wine produced from the Magnolia Muscadine grape. Citrus flavors on the palate with a nice mouth feel and finish make this wine a pleasing complement to poultry, fish or pork. This is a new winery opened in 2005 with focus on growing several Muscadine cultivars to include Carlos, Noble, Magnolia, Doreen and Triumph. The winery is also producing Chardonnay and Syrah. Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Bramble Berry, New York priced at $8.99: This is a semi-sweet wine made with local grapes and “infused with the luscious natural flavor of red and black raspberries”. Best served chilled, “it's a great accompaniment to chocolate fondue or add club soda and ice for a great wine spritzer.” This was a fun drink to sample during our wine group tasting. Serve with fresh watermelon or other melons particularly as a light desert or as the wine maker suggests as a spritzer or a topping over ice cream or with chocolate. This is a delightful summer dessert or after-dinner wine not overly sweet, but unique on the palate at a nice price point. Chrysalis Vineyards 2009 Sarah's Patio Red Middleburg, Virginia priced at $15.00: Semi-sweet Light Rose Wine—12.5% alcohol. Fresh fruit flavors and sweet-tart balance. Tank fermented and whole cluster pressed with no skin contact; 100% Norton grapes. Semi-sweet with balanced acidity and fragrant tart cherry flavor on the palate. Serve this wine chilled and decant prior to serving. The wine actually opened up and tasted better the next day. Chrysalis Vineyards 2005 Norton, Estate Bottled, Middleburg, Va. priced at $19.00: 12.8% alcohol. Winery notes: A robust red—complex and deeply colored. This full-bodied wine with firm tannins has concentrated flavors of cherry and raisins with a long finish. The wine was better the second day so definitely decant for several hours prior to serving. Jackson-Triggs 2007 Vidal Ice Wine from Canada priced at $21.95: This wine has coloring, like a dark Chardonnay. The wine looks rich and appealing upon sight. The nose has hints of apple tropical fruit apricot and mango. On the palate the wine has apple and red grape flavors with a nice acidity on the finish. This is a well balanced sweet wine with just enough acidity to make an attractive end of evening beverage. The Vidal grape holds its sweetness with fine acidity. This particular grape is actually Vidal Blanc and was developed in France in 1930s as a cross between Ugni Blanc, better known as Trebbiano the second most widely grown white wine grape in the world, and Rayon d'Or. The objective was to design a wine for cognac as it would turn out the grape is very hardy and grows well in cooler Canadian and New England performing particularly well in ice wines. In the next article the writer will focus on Grenache wines. If you have a question or a suggestion please email wcrawford@bigcanoenews.com Although he calls Big Canoe home, Wayne Crawford, is frequently on the road with his consulting practice. Wayne is a member of the Society of Wine Educators. |
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