EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS AND SOLEMNITIES, and we have a great excuse to celebrate for a Solemnity today! It is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Protector of the Holy Family, Terror of Demons, Patron of a Happy Death and many other things. If us guys ever need a role model for how to be a man, especially in a world where men mistreat women, he is where we turn.
So, to celebrate this amazing man, I have selected two, YES 2, amazing wines to dive into with you. Who we got, who we got?! We got a native American grape wine from coastal North Carolina, and a fortified wine from Monticello. We staying local! Also, I am throwing away the $15 cap for today (and maybe future blogs) to dive further into local wine (which is usually a bit more expensive because it's hand-farmed etc). While it is probably tough to find these wines in a shop up here, I highly suggest visiting these two wine regions when things warm up.
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| Sanctuary Vineyards' "Sweet Serenity" |
Winery: Sanctuary Vineyards
Grapes: 100% Scuppernong
Region: Sandhills/Coastal, North Carolina
Country: USA
Vintage: 2016 (an educated guess, unlabeled)
Price: $15
Aging: Unknown, probs bottled right away
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| King Family Vineyards' "7" |
Winery: King Family Vineyards
Grapes: 100% Petit Verdot
Region: Monticello AVA, Virginia
Country: USA
Vintage: 2015
Price: $31
Aging: 21 months in used Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon white oak barrels
Let's start with the tougher to explain: Sweet Serenity. Scuppernong is a native American grape. It has grown wild in the southeastern U.S. and was discovered for wine purposes when colonization started.
Hey! I love 'Murica! Why haven't I heard of this strangely named grape before?
Welllllll, basically cuz Europeans said the wine it makes sucks compared to their wine grapes. The thing is, they are not the same species. Most great wines are produced from one species of grape called vitis vinifera. Virtually every wine grape you've ever heard of falls into this species.
Okay and that's native in France, Italy, Spain, etc?
Nope, but you have the right idea. Funny enough it has its origins in Georgia (no not the peach state, but the nation near Turkey on the Black Sea), Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Roman Empire is probs responsible for circulating these grapes to Europe and making them into great wine.
Wait so what are these American grapes then?
There are several different species of note:
Vitis Labrusca: Have you heard of Concord grapes? Yes you have! Welch's grape juice! Yup, it and some other grapes are part of the vitis labrusca fam. If you can imagine a wine made from Welch's grape juice then you can imagine the sort of candied, punchy taste that is characteristic with v. labrusca. If you've had Jewish ceremonial wine like for the Passover Sedar meal then you've had this type of wine. Mainly grown in New England area.
Vitis Riparia: This grape species saved all other grapes from extinction. Found in the Midwest and planted tons in Missouri especially, grapes like Baco Noir and Elvira have root stock that is immune to Phylloxera. Colonial botanists brought back tons of grapes from the new world, bringing the louse with it to eat away the prestigious vineyards of France, Italy, Spain, etc. Finally, after almost the entirety of old world wine production evaporated, some scientists got the idea to graft v. vinifera onto the v. riparia root stock. Missouri saved the world!
Vitis Aestivalis: You may have heard of Norton, which is pretty big in Virginia. While it is not entirely this species, it is certainly its flagship (and it is largely this species anyways). This grape has actually gotten some acclaim from sommeliers around the world. This grape has potential for becoming a great wine under Virginia's tutelage. V. aestivalis is native in the eastern U.S. and perhaps also has roots in Missouri.
Vitis Rupestris: A grape species that likes to grow in sand and has high disease resistance. The French capitalized on this by making hybrids with v. vinifera grapes. They became so popular that France had to ban them from being planted in certain areas to maintain their prestige. You can find a lot of tasty wine from these hybrids in the U.S. now. I have tasted some Vidal Blanc and Chancellor from local Virginia wineries.
Vitis Rotundifolia: Muscadines are part of the vitis rotundifolia fam. I am guessing here but the species name kind of corresponds to the grapes' historical impact or something like that (riparia I think of repair). Rotund.......hmmmmmm let's see...Yup you guessed it, this grape is fat and round. Besides being a huge size as far as grapes go (like golf ball range), it is also a potential cure for obesity! Yup, it is a healthy grape, especially if you get rid of its sugar (aka make it wine). For those that know what this means (I don't) it is super high in anti-oxidants and ellagic acid.
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| Red Muscadine. Notice the size and "atlas" shape. |
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| Scuppernong. A white varietal under the umbrella of Muscadine. |
Too much info Austin...
Srrrrryyyy. A little more and moving on. I think Sweet Serenity is a white varietal cultivar of Muscadine called Scuppernong (see above photos). I can't be sure but it is a popular cultivar in the coastal region so it makes sense. Muscadines can be white or red and all should be served chilled.
Sanctuary Vineyards is in Jarvisburg, NC! Why is this exciting? Because there's always terrible traffic on the weekends that backs up the bridge into Outer Banks on the Ceratoke Highway...starting around Jarvisburg or so...Yes, you see where I am going with this. If your next vacation to OBX starts with gridlock, consider pulling off in Jarvisburg and trying some native American wine while you wait out the traffic! I haven't been there yet but it's my plan next time OBX is the destination.
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| NC wine map! Currituck County is in the very top right. |
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| Self explanatory. Cred Google Maps. |
Ok, now a bit on 7...
Yea, so um, 7 what?
Yupyup, it's named for the 7th chukker in a polo match. A chukker is a period of play of which there can be between 4 to 8 depending on the league. The polo played in Virginia must be 6 chukkers long because the nice lady at the winery explained the wine is named for the overtime period. The grounds at King Family are awesome, and vast. Not only are there tons of grape vines, but there are barn-style buildings for showroom shenanigans, and even (who would've guessed) a polo field. They play polo there every Sunday in season starting at 1pm. Free to the public and you can get there early to taste their wines pre-match (which are all amazing, but not free).
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| Polo at King Family's grounds. |
The King family is originally from Texas, but moved to Crozet for whatever reason. What seems to have originally started as a hobby on their homestead has become one of the best wineries in Virginia. 2000 was their first commercial vintage (I think) after they hired a winemaker born in the Rhone Valley (France) to head their growing endeavor. Their grapes are pruned and otherwise cared for by hand, which makes it all the more baffling that their prices aren't exorbitant. They tend to stay in the $30 range and their wines rival some $60 wines up here in NoVA. I loved every single wine I tasted and they all had a spin on what I thought the varietal should taste like.
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| Overview of estate. |
For that matter, another winery in the area called Veritas was equally impressive, and (glad to say) was entirely different from King Family. Virginia is awesome! I loved my trips to King Family and Veritas with my sister and the rest of our fam. Wine in central Virginia is about to explode. There are some amazing wines there. More importantly, they are making great VIRGINIA wines...expressing the terroir and not getting caught up in making what people think they want (something I see a bit of closer to DC). Central VA will be the Napa Valley of the east pretty soon.
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| VA wine map! A little out of date but the best I could find. They don't show the newest AVA of Middleburg up in NoVA. We're now up to 7! Woah, I wonder if there is a hidden meaning in the name of the wine I picked 😵. |
........Ok tell me about 7.
Right, right. Ignore the tears I am shedding for how awesome it is to live so close to Monticello AVA. So, 7 is a fortified wine. You may have heard of port or sherry; these are types of fortified wine from regions surrounding Porto, Portugal; and Jerez, Spain respectively. The basic jist is grapes are fermented to the desired residual sugar level (pretty high usually) and then fermentation is stopped by adding brandy (spirit made from grapes) to kill the yeast. After that they do some region specific processes and age it for a while. The process allows them to be high in alcohol and sugar, which slots them somewhere between table wine and whiskey. These wines are equally great for dessert pairings and alone after dinner by the fire.
Sometimes "dessert wine" is used to label a fortified wine. I think this confuses the consumer because sometimes you can find semi-bubbly, super sweet, low alcohol, red wines under the same label. The shape of the bottle can help you figure out what the wine is and when in doubt, just look at the alcohol percentage (18-22% is about the range for fortified).
7 is made with Petit Verdot (one of the 6 Bordeaux grapes), and with brandy that was distilled from King Family's own grape supply if memory serves. The aging in Woodford Reserve barrels is a nice touch, and a trend I have seen in some American fortified wines. It makes sense: might as well utilize the fantastic bourbon tradition so close by.
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| Petit Verdot. Notice how petit the grapes are...yes that is why it's called that. |
While I am also a fan of some Kentucky Straight Bourbon by a fireplace, there is something about a good fortified wine that gives me a lot more to think about. I think it is my preferred contemplation drink (especially sherry). Anyways, I've been talking too much...let's get to tasting!
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| Sweet Serenity |
Initial Impressions: A sort of orange-gold color. Certainly a bit weird if I didn't know what kind of grape it was. Usually an orange color is associated with wild-grown white grapes. Bottle screams beach vacation.
Smell: Very, very strong aroma. Such a strange smell for which I remember why I bought it (to explore further). Side note: I got this bottle at a wine festival that I ran into last summer on vacay in Corolla. Undeniable that there is citrus-tangerine and substantial alcoholic heat, but I can't get this out of my head: it smells like a soft pretzel with honey mustard dipping sauce. It's so strange I know...if you won't take my word for it I Dare you to go drive down to OBX and prove me wrong (lol I am funny because OBX is Dare county). It's that sort of toasty, salty, buttered bread smell at a concession stand, but more refined with a fancy sweet sauce.
Taste: Very acidic but a weird acid that seems to amplify the sweetness (which seems pretty up-there). Buttery. Acid also amplifies the alcohol. Medium bodied. There is a summertime citrusy fruit that seems to be the forefront of the taste but I don't know what to call it.....an overripe tangerine with buttered salty nuts? That saltiness stays afterwards in a way that some Spanish wines do with me (perhaps a similar sandy soil???). Adding oxygen reveals the pretzel-breadiness. Not a long finish but serves as a noticeable recap of all flavors at once.
Comments: I tried to pair this with something. I couldn't decide if it went or not. It at least didn't subtract anything from a pork chop with maple-mustard sauce. I may have been thinking about it all wrong though. I think this wine is meant as a lunchtime wine and a porch sipping wine. Something you can put in a cooler and drink while floating down a river in a tube or on the beach. Pairings schmarings. Interesting wine and worth the price of admission into the world of Muscadine. P.S. I feel like I am losing weight already 😛.
7.642537 / 10
$$ / 5
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| 7 |
Initial Impressions: The cork is squeaky haha. And it smells like fresh cut lumber. Seems like it shouldn't be that unusual but I just noticed the smell of wood in the cork rather than the wine for once. Even in the bottle the wine smells scrumptious. Like a creamy dessert. Color is very dark red with a bit of a golden hue on the surface edges.
Smell: Smells like a pickle hahahahahaha. Literally no joke there is a dill-type smell that I don't remember from the tasting room. I can sort of smell around that pickle and find a warm cream vanilla. Vegetal and spice stuff is certainly front and center. A bit of a campfire cocoa/smores vibe might be going on too.
Taste: Whaaaaaaaaa. That was so strange. *Takes another sip* Wut...So initially it is really spicy. The dill is still there but it starts to soften up around 10 seconds of being in the mouth and becomes a lush bunch of ripe dark fruit. Blackberries, black cherries, raisins. Nutty. Tobacco if you suck in oxygen, and slightly grassy. After swallowing it changes profile to a more creamy caramel taste. After a while there is a noticeable toasted coconut aftertaste. Big tannins. Sweet. High alcohol. But it is balanced. If there is acid I don't notice it under the blanket of everything else. Thick bodied but not until a few seconds of swishing around. Remains for a long time on your tongue after swallowing. After the main change from spice and fruit to caramel, it does't really differ.
Comments: Another strange wine. Petit Verdot seems a strange animal (in my limited exposure) because it has so much to say. I see this wine in an easy chair next to a fireplace in wintertime. I also see this wine at a poker table??? What am I trying to say....ummmm...This wine is daring and proper. A mix of a couple personalities. For the first time I wonder if I should have kept it bottled up for another year or two. The reason for my suggestion is because of the long oaking process and the spice-forward nature...I think if given some more time to slumber it will be less attack-dog and more rounded. It has a lot to say. I can't suggest any obvious pairings except some select pungent cheeses or heavy desserts (just based on knowledge of fortified wines). Nothing sticking out though.
9.0145756 / 10
$$$ / 5
What an interesting duo. I must caution everyone that I love almost every wine I put in my mouth and that these wines are non-standard. You may not like them (especially the Scuppernong) but if you want to explore the fringes then awesome 😃.
Please tell me which wine I should review next! I'd much rather make this blog about my friends! If no one has any suggestions though, my plan has been to sort of blanket the wine world by exploring different regions in almost every installment.
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Cred:
http://sanctuaryvineyards.com/wines/
http://www.kingfamilyvineyards.com/
http://winefolly.com/review/native-wine-grapes-of-america/
http://winefolly.com/review/a-guide-to-muscadine-wine/
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