Know Your Grapes: Concord

There's roughly 70 different grapes grown in the Midwest cultivated for wine production. This time we look at a versatile grape, the Concord.

(From arvindgrover via Flickr)

First cultivated in Concord, Massachusetts, today the Concord grape is among the most versatile grapes around. Grape juice, grape jelly and candy can all be made from the Concord grape. Concord grapes are also used as a table grape, meaning they are eaten raw alone or in a fruit salad. Uncommonly, it is used to make wine.

Given that the Concord grape is used to make Grape juice, one might conclude that the wine would have a similar taste. Judging from the taste of Oliver Wineries Sweet Red, which is made from the grape, you would be correct. This particular wine has a simple taste that is on the sweet side and the taste is reminiscent of grape juice.

The Concord grape is a member of the Vitis Labrusca species, one of a number of grape varieties native to North America. V. labrusca is commonly referred to as a Fox grape A fox grape does not refer to the animal of the same name, but instead is a reference to the aroma and taste of these grapes, which have a muskiness. According to a few resources online, the first reference to 'Fox Grapes' comes from 1622 in a letter written by John Bonceil titled 'His Majesties Gracious Letter to the Earle of South-Hampton'. John was living in Virginia at the time and writing about a number of different topics. In this letter, he describes the grape has been used to make a very sweet red wine. Despite the early reference, the ultimate source of the term is unknown and a number of theories abound. Regardless, Fox Grapes are a staple of Midwestern grapes as they are uniquely suited to grow here with our hot summers and cold winters.

All said, the Concord is a good grape for juice, jelly, and sweets, but can be disappointing in a wine to wine experts. As someone who started drinking wine with a bottle of Soft Red, I can attest that it creates 'gateway' bottles for novice or amateur wine drinkers to taste and later attempt more serious wines.

Know your Wine Terminology: Table Wine

Many wines have special uses. Sparkling and Champagne wines are often used for celebrations. Gluhwein is a type of mulled wine suitable for cold winter days. Icewine and dessert wines are best paired with sweet dessert dishes. In the United States, when we speak of Table Wine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_wine), we speak of a wine which is not sparkling and which is not fortified. Table wine, such as 'French Lick Red Table Wine' is often labelled without indication of the varietal. A table wine might be a wineries special blend of wine from a variety of grapes.

In Europe, Table Wine is the lower of two official categories of wine. The higher category is 'Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Wines_Produced_in_Specified_Regions) and must follow a large number of regulations to labelled as such. In Europe, the Table Wine designation is easier to come by. This sense of lower quality is also inferred when used in the United States as well, along with the un-sparkling and un-fortified status.

Table Wine should not be confused with Table Grapes (http://midwestwinegeek.blogspot.com/2012/12/know-your-grapes-table-vs-wine-grapes.html) which refers to grapes destined for direct consumption (as opposed to wine grapes, which are intended to be made into wine).

What I'm Drinking: Easley's Warm Mulled Wine

While the vast majority of wines should never be heated or served above room temperature, there's a small class of wines that thrive being warmed. In October I had a bottle known as Witches Brew which went wonderful on a cold fall day with its mulling spices. Today, I'm drinking a similar wine from Easley Winery, their 'Warm Mulled Wine'.

From the label, it is a mixture of a Red table wine, mulling spices, honey, apple cider, and lemon juice. Together, this makes for a wine with a medium level of tanins, low level of alcohol, a medium level of acids, and a fairly sweet wine. Its a balance that truly tastes better warmed up on the stove or in the microwave than at room temperature or served cold.

The wine itself is a dark reddish-purple hue and is well mixed. From the appearance, I would not guess that spices and other things were mixed in with the wine.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a 65 out of 100. It contains some complex tastes, but these come from the spices, honey, cider, and lemon juice and not from the wine itself. But the wine itself runs less than $10 and for the price, is a great warmed wine for a winter night.