The Wines
Imagine being a lifelong Chardonnay drinker and trying a Sauvignon Blanc for the first time. Or ordering a coffee only to discover someone’s put beer in your cup. Fine Muscadine wine is like that: probably not what you’re used to or what you were expecting, but delicious in its own right!
If you’re lucky enough to live in the South, you may have tried Muscadine wine before. The traditional style of Muscadine wine is heavily back-sweetened (think sweet tea, or even extra-sweet tea) and often contains added flavors. While this style is beloved by many, what we’re doing is completely different. We only work with fruit grown in named American Viticultural Areas, and all of our wines are vintage dated and allowed ample time to mature before they’re released. Our entire process is marked by patience and attention to detail.
Image: Muscadine wines (along with a couple of fruit wines) in the “Local Wines” section of the wine aisle of a grocery store in North Carolina. This would more accurately be labeled the “Sweet Wines” section given the inclusion of the Italian Moscato D’Asti in the lower left. Photo by Erik Martella.
We offer two collections of wines:
The Perennial Series includes our four flagship wines, each of which embodies the essence of one of the four seasons, renewed annually with each new vintage.
With the Workshop Series, we invite you to participate in our exploration of different winemaking techniques to determine which best express the fine wine potential of Muscadine grapes.
The Perennial Series
The Perennial Series consists of four wines: a sparkling wine, a standard white wine, a white wine made via carbonic maceration, and a red wine. These wines intended to pair with food and family, bringing a taste of American farmhouse tradition to every table.
Image: The four wines that make up the Perennial Series (CVB Sparkling, Summer Kitchen, Grandmother’s House, and Stockinette) lined up in front of rough-cut wood planks that make up the wall of a barn. Light can be seen through the gaps between the planks.
CVB Sparkling
CVB Sparkling is a unique, dry sparkling wine made from a blend of 60% Carlos, and 40% Vidal Blanc, a French American hybrid grape. The two varietal wines were fermented separately and then blended together for secondary fermentation in a stainless-steel tank (a process known as the Charmat Method for making sparkling wine).
Aromas of apricot and bruised apple transition to a bright, crisp, and clean, finish. Pair with cheese straws, tomato sandwiches, and your favorite front-porch snacks.
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97 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.20 • TA: 6.75 g/L • RS: 0.07% • Malic: 11 mg/L • VA: 0.30 • Alc: 9.92% (Label Alc: 10%)
We bottled this wine unfiltered, so a small amount of brown sediment (harmless fermentation residue) may be encountered.
Image: Closeup of a bottle of CVB Sparkling on a wooden table inside a barn. The bottle is green glass and features a silver crown cap on top. The label image is watercolor of a seedling with green leaves on a pink background.
Summer Kitchen
Summer Kitchen is a white wine made using traditional practices similar to those commonly employed for Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. The large, juicy berries were hand harvested, then pressed and fermented as a single small batch. Aromas of overripe pear, honeydew melon, and white mushroom lead to a crisp, palate-cleansing, acid-driven finish.
Excellent when enjoyed on a warm summer afternoon. Pairs equally well with cold fried chicken and cool weather favorites like chicken and dumplings and mac and cheese.
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264 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.15 • TA: 7.57 g/L • RS: 0.71% • Malic: 1173 mg/L • VA: 0.28 • Alc: 12.19% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 753 mg/L GAE
Image: Closeup of a bottle of Summer Kitchen on a wooden table inside a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck. The label image is pastel sketch of a wood stove cooktop against the exterior wall of a structure. The greens of a forest and lawn can be seen in the background.
Grandmother’s House
Grandmother’s House is a white wine made using carbonic maceration. Typically performed on red grapes like Gamay used in the famous Beaujolais Nouveau wines released in France every November, carbonic maceration involves holding uncrushed grapes in a carbon dioxide atmosphere for several days to allow the grapes’ own enzymes to begin fermentation, creating unique aromas and complexity. Then, the grapes are pressed and fermentation is completed with yeast. Grandmother’s House is 100% Carlos.
You’ll find aromas of bruised apple, clove, and pineapple rind with an acid-driven, slightly drying finish that longs to partner with your favorite comfort food! Pair with glazed ham, Mississippi sin, and deviled eggs.
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101 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 2.78 • TA: 7.62 g/L • RS: 1.37% • Malic: 2167 mg/L • VA: 0.35 • Alc: 12.44% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 2197 mg/L GAE
There may be a small amount of sediment in the form of tiny, sparkly crystals. This is ellagic acid, a harmless constituent of muscadine grapes (ellagic acid is actually available as a dietary supplement). Similar to the tartrate sediment sometimes found in vinifera wines, this is muscadine’s unique version of “wine diamonds.”
Projected Release Date: September, 2024
Image: Closeup of a bottle of Grandmother’s House on a wooden table inside a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck. The label image is watercolor of a white farmhouse with a bare tree in the foreground. Brown and gold accent colors on the label are reminiscent of autumn.
Stockinette
Stockinette is a red wine made using carbonic maceration, which involves holding uncrushed grapes in a carbon dioxide atmosphere for several days to allow the grapes’ own enzymes to begin fermentation. This process adds complexity to the wine. Fruit-forward with aromas of raspberry and tart cherry, the acid-driven finish makes this wine an excellent companion to ham and prime rib. Tannin is almost absent from this wine, giving it a clean, pallet-cleansing finish.
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108 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.15 • TA: 7.57 g/L • RS: 0.71% • Malic: 1173 mg/L • VA: 0.64 • Alc: 12.19% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 8833 mg/L GAE
Projected Release Date: September, 2024
Image: Closeup of a bottle of Stockinette on a wooden table inside a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck. The label image is a painting of a rocking chair that a red and white knit blanket has been thrown over. In the background there is a fire in the fireplace and windows with a snowy landscape beyond.
The Workshop Series
The Workshop Series
Embracing the unique aromas and structure of Muscadines, we’re testing some of the same techniques employed in European-style fine winemaking, as well as experimenting with our own novel techniques to discover which best express the structure, complexity, and charisma of these unique grapes.
Image: The four wines that make up the current offerings in the Workshop Series (Seed-contact, Selective Harvest, Carbonic Maceration Carlos and Carbonic Maceration Noble) lined up in front of rough-cut wood planks and galvanized sheet metal making up the sloping ceiling of an old barn.
2022 Carlos: Method No. 06
[Seed Contact]
PROCESS
We pressed Carlos grapes, directed the juice to a tank, and collected the pomace from the press. We then separated seeds from the pomace and added those seeds to the juice. Fermentation and subsequent barrel-aging both occurred in contact with the seeds. The wine matured in neutral barrels for 10 months and oak chips were used at the very end of the winemaking process to impart oak aromas.
MOTIVATION
Knowing that muscadines are naturally high in phenolics and antioxidants, we wanted to see if the seeds alone imparted any different character to the wine as opposed to no skin/seed contact (Compare to Method No. 05 - Press and Ferment from the Workshop Series or Summer Kitchen from the Seasonal Series). Also, extracting more phenolics should give the wine increased protection from oxidation, allowing the wine to age in the bottle longer. The low pH and high phenolic content of this wine should allow it to age for decades.
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103 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.13 • TA: 6.94 g/L • RS: 0.45% • Malic: 640 mg/L • VA: 0.45 • Alc: 10.58% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 2427 mg/L GAE
Image: A closeup of a bottle of Workshop Series wine on a wooden table inside of a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck of the bottle. The label on the bottle features a painting of wineglasses lined up on a table in a barrel cellar. A pen and an open notebook are on the table in front of the wineglasses. The label includes the vintage, variety, and Method listed above as well as the AVA, which is Yadkin Valley.
2023 Carlos: Method No. 05-S
[Press & Ferment; Selective Harvest]
PROCESS
Method No. 05 is our designation for the traditional white wine process: as soon as the harvested grapes arrive at the winery, they are pressed to separate the juice from the pomace (the skins and seeds) and the juice is then fermented. The added twist is the Selective Harvest: Carlos is hand-harvested as individual berries, and we went through the vineyard selecting only the ripest, most golden honey-colored grapes, and avoiding any berries still tinged with green. This is represented by the “-S” after Method No. 05.
MOTIVATION
Typically, riper grapes make better wine…but only up to a point. Is that true of Carlos grapes? If so, is the wine better by a large enough margin to warrant the extra work in the vineyard? Or do winemaking techniques like carbonic maceration have a bigger impact on quality? This wine is an initial attempt to answer those questions, especially when compared to Summer Kitchen (which uses press & ferment but without the selective harvest) and the Method No. 03 Carlos (which is carbonic maceration without the selective harvest).
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84 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.14 • TA: 6.58 g/L • RS: 0.35% • Malic: 863 mg/L • VA: 0.35 • Alc: 11.96% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 557 mg/L GAE
Image: A closeup of a bottle of Workshop Series wine on a wooden table inside of a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck of the bottle. The label on the bottle features a painting of wineglasses lined up on a table in a barrel cellar. A pen and an open notebook are on the table in front of the wineglasses. The label includes the vintage, variety, and Method listed above as well as the AVA, which is Yadkin Valley.
2023 Carlos: Method No. 03
[Carbonic Maceration]
PROCESS
The whole, intact, hand-picked berries are put directly into a tank without any crushing or pressing. A small amount of fermenting juice is added to the bottom of the tank to naturally displace the air with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide atmosphere is maintained in the tank for several days during which time enzymes in the grape begin to convert sugars and other grape constituents into aroma compounds. Then the grapes are pressed and fermentation is completed by yeast.
MOTIVATION
We first tried this method in 2022 with great success, and this wine became the 2022 Grandmother’s House. We wanted to repeat the classic carbonic maceration process in 2023, but we also wanted to compare it to a modified version we call “juicy carbonic.” Juicy carbonic involves two batches of grapes, one of which is pressed and the resulting juice is used to cover the intact berries of the other batch. The juice is fermented, creating a carbonic maceration environment for the intact berries, which, subsequently, are themselves pressed and fermented. We liked this version so much that it we used it for the 2023 Grandmother’s House, which is expected to release in October, 2024. Compare the 2023 Carlos: Method No. 03 to the 2023 Carlos: Method No. 05-S and the 2023 Grandmother’s House (once it’s available).
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94 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.02 • TA: 9.31 g/L • RS: 0.52% • Malic: 1897 mg/L • VA: 0.36 • Alc: 11.49% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 1257 mg/L GAE
Image: A closeup of a bottle of Workshop Series wine on a wooden table inside of a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck of the bottle. The label on the bottle features a painting of wineglasses lined up on a table in a barrel cellar. A pen and an open notebook are on the table in front of the wineglasses. The label includes the vintage, variety, and Method listed above as well as the AVA, which is Yadkin Valley.
2023 Noble: Method 03
[Carbonic Maceration]
PROCESS
Since Noble is harvested as clusters instead of individual berries, the grapes are first destemmed, but not crushed (the crusher rollers were removed from the crusher/destemmer). Some of the berries are inevitably split during the destemming process, but most remain intact. A small amount of fermenting juice is placed in the tank to naturally displace the air with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide atmosphere in the tank is maintained for several days while enzymes in the grape convert some of its constituents to aroma compounds. The grapes are then pressed and the fermentation is completed by yeast.
MOTIVATION
One of the challenges working with muscadine grapes is that most have a strongly prevalent aroma that is characteristic for each variety. Though pleasant, these aromas can mask a wine’s broader complexity. Based on our success with carbonic maceration of Carlos grapes, we wanted to see how it would work with Noble grapes.
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108 cases produced
Analysis at bottling:
pH: 3.19 • TA: 6.36 g/L • RS: 0.37% • Malic: 500 mg/L • VA: 0.50 • Alc: 11.41% (Label Alc: 12%)
Total Phenol: 6400 mg/L GAE
Image: A closeup of a bottle of Workshop Series wine on a wooden table inside of a barn. The bottle is amber/green glass and a cork can be seen in the neck of the bottle. The label on the bottle features a painting of wineglasses lined up on a table in a barrel cellar. A pen and an open notebook are on the table in front of the wineglasses. The label includes the vintage, variety, and Method listed above as well as the AVA, which is Yadkin Valley.