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 Grapes: Traminette

Traditional wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir are all old world grapes that have been cultivated and nurtured for centuries. There's a number of new world grapes which are very hardy and disease resistant and make wonderful wines, including the Concorde, Catawba and Niagra. But there is wide array of hybrid grapes that combine the traditional flavors of the old world and the hardiness of new world. Traminette is a wonderful combination, combining one of several Seyve grapes and Gewürztraminer into a hardy and flavorful white grape. First created at the University of Illinois in 1965, this young variety has in quick time won over many of the hearts of wine makers and a number of wine drinkers.

Wines made from Traminette thrive very well in the Midwest, especially in the hot summers and cold winters of Indiana, where it has been named the signature grape of the state.

In a wine, Traminette adds a floral and spicy flavor, much like Gewurztraminer. Like Gewurztraminer, Traminette best stands up to spicy and complex dishes, such as many Asian dishes or a Pork dish.

Traminette, being a white grape, is best suited to white wine styles. This means that that the grapes should have as little contact with the stems and grape skins during the fermentation process as possible. In fact, Purdue scientists determined that prolonged exposure to the skin and stems creates an unfavorable wine. Fermentation of the wine takes around 2 weeks, making for a rather quick process. The scientists also recommend adding residual sugar to the wine regardless of the style, as Traminette tends to run on the very dry side.

A far number of Indiana Wineries produce a Traminette wine. Easley Winery produces a floral, spicy variety that is reasonably priced. Oliver Wineries Creek Bend label also has a Traminette priced around $15 (which I'm sipping as I type) that has a stronger and more complex flavor that is also very tasty. This wine varietal is growing in popularity with dozens of Indiana wineries making wines from Traminette grapes.

Know your Grapes: Table vs Wine grapes

Walk into a typical Grocery store (at least a typical Midwestern grocery store) and on any given day you'll find between 2 and 4 varieties of grapes for sale. The most popular are the Red and White Seedless varieties. In the Midwest, the White grapes are often marketed as Thompson Seedless, while the Reds are marketed as Flame Seedless. The white grapes have a sweet, mild flavor, while the red variety has a sharper edge, but still quite sweet. Occasionally, a store will get a shipment of Black seedless grapes. The final common grape are Red Globe grapes, which are not seedless. It tastes similar to the red seedless varieties, though is bigger and contains a seed. Together, all of these grapes are considered Table Grapes, since they are meant for the table. Other varieties exist, such as Concorde grapes, which are popular in making Grape Juice, Jam, and Jelly.

The rest of the grapes of the world are classified as Wine grapes. They differ from Table grapes by being smaller, having thicker skins, and are almost always seeded. In addition to oaking and aging, it is the unique characteristics of each different Wine grape that gives each wine its unique flavor. Once a month, I'll cover a different variety of grape common to the Midwest

At least 68 different varieties of grapes are grown in the Midwest, including:

Aurore
Baco Noir
Bluebell
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carmine
Catawba
Cayuga
Chambourcin
Chancellor
Chardonnel
Chardonnay
Chelois
Concord
Couderc Noir
De Chaunac
Delaware
Diamond
Edelweiss
Elvira
Frontenac
Frontenac Gris
Gamay Noir
Geisenheim
Gewürztraminer
Golden Muscat
Kerner
La Crescen
La Crosse
Landot
Lemberger
Leon Millot
Malbec
Marechal Foch
Merlot
Muscadine
Muscat Canelli
New York Musca
Niagara
Norton
Pinot Gris
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Noir
Rayon d'Or
Reliance
Riesling
Rougeon
Ruby Cabernet
Sabrevois
Sangiovese
Sauvignon Blanc
Seyval Blanc
St. Croix
St. Pepin
St. Vincent
Steuben
Syrah
Touriga Francesa
Traminette
Valiant
Vidal Blanc
Vignoles
Villard Blanc
Vilard Noir
Viognier
Vivant
Zinfandel
Zweigelt