PRINT »

E-MAIL THIS PAGE »

CLOSE THIS WINDOW »

Irvin-House Vineyards:

"New Southern" Muscadine

by Gregory D. McCluney Three hundred and fifty years ago, the South's own grape, Scuppernong, (vitis rotundifolia species of muscadinia), was discovered by a member of the Sir Walter Raleigh colony in Roanoke Island, in what is now North Carolina. Now popularly known as Muscadine, the "Grape of the South," this juicy grape with tough skin is native to the American East--but has rarely been favored by sophisticated winemakers or consumers.

Used primarily to make heavy, sweet and fruity wines, and preferred by Southerners raised on the high sugar levels of Coca-Cola, lowly Muscadine grapes have long languished as forgotten American grapes. Meanwhile, Norton (vitis aestivalis) and Catawba (vitis labruscana) have been cultivated and elevated to almost cult status by some regional winemakers.
 
That may be changing, according to one winemaker. Jim Irvin, a retired contractor who owns Irvin-House Vineyards and Winery on Wadmalaw Island, S.C. with his wife, Ann, is making a credible run at changing the Muscadine's lowly image. The Irvins are producing a drier-style Muscadine that is more suitable for pairing with foods and enjoying at cocktail hour, and they're introducing that wine to restaurants and traditional varietal wine drinkers.

Scuppernong grapes come in a number of color varieties. The Irvins planted 2,680 vines on 11 acres in 2001, including two red grapes, Ison and Noble, and two whites, Tara and Carlos. The vines yielded 26 tons the next year and eventually 2,200 cases of wine--thanks to the high yields of Scuppernong. In 2004, the yields from the same vines were up to 47 tons.

The Irvins decided against pesticides and chemical treatments, and have relied solely on elbow grease and TLC to bring their vines to maturity. They had been told it would take four years to bring in their crop, but the first harvest came in just two years. Irvin engaged the services of winemaking consultant Thomas Payette, a Virginia winemaker whose firm, Payette Consulting, focuses on still and sparkling wine production. He specializes in start-ups and expansions, utilizing his 20 years of experience in Virginia.

The Muscadine grape has an extra chromosome, which makes it disease and pest resistant, and immune to fungus. "We do prune every five days and fertilize every 15 days," Irvin said. "Even though this area receives 55 inches of rain a year, we do irrigate every vine. It is important to irrigate the first two years--(the vines) need 36 gallons of water per week. After the third year, root development is adequate and irrigation can be cut back or eliminated.

"Now that most of our vines are four years old, we have the opposite problem--too much water. In some months, we have to pump water out of the vineyards. We lost some vines because of this last year." Irvin generally irrigates twice a year, as the clay soil does a good job of holding water.

"Muscadine has been here for a long time, and it is resistant to Pierce's disease," he said. "But we can have serious problems at harvest, which is in the middle of South Carolina's prime hurricane season."

According to Irvin, his biggest challenge with Muscadine isn't in the vineyard. "Muscadine is highly disease resistant and perfectly suited to this hot and humid island climate," he said. "Rather, the biggest challenge is to get consumers and members of the wine trade to consider and taste our wines. We have to overcome the perception that all Muscadine wines are too sweet and syrupy--and don't pair well with most foods."

The Irvins didn't set out to reinvent their local grape. They bought the island tract of 47 acres for gardening, and thought about raising chickens. Then a local friend and wine enthusiast suggested they try growing some Muscadine vines and everything began to fit.

A beautiful, if unlikely, setting for a vineyard, Irvin-House (House was Ann's last name before she married Jim) sits among short palms and huge live oak trees, with Spanish moss hanging all around. Jim uses oak chips from the live oaks on his property to give his wines a distinctive, pleasing oak flavor without using barrels.

Irvin-House currently produces five wines: Tara Gold (semi-dry, white table wine), Magnolia (a crisp, sweet white), Live Oak Reserve (a light red blend), Mullet Hall (a dry red table wine) and Palmetto (a light and fruity red). The Magnolia and Mullet Hall wines took silver medals at the Hilton Head Wine Fest competition in February 2005. In keeping with their local identity, the Irvins chose five Charleston artists to design their wine labels.

Muscadine wines have another strong marketing advantage over more traditional varieties, with a resounding health endorsement that goes beyond even the widely publicized French Paradox. Few consumers are aware of this, but according to a study from the National Institute of Health, which studied the wine of the South, Muscadine contains seven times the resveratrol (the acclaimed antioxidant named in the French Paradox) of any other wine.

For more details on the health benefits of Muscadine, Irvin points to Dr. Diane Hartle, who manages a nutraceutical research laboratory in Athens, Ga., and trains graduate students in projects related to natural products and health. Hartle has written a new book, Muscadine Medicine. The book reviews more than 450 scientific studies about grapes, Muscadine grapes, grape seed ex tract, grape skins and pomace. It reviews data showing how grape phytochemicals improve heart health, prevent inflammatory disease and may benefit people who are concerned about health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes and obesity. It also includes nutritional information about the power of Muscadine grapes and how the phytochemicals help "phyte" disease.

Beyond the health benefits, what are Jim Irvin's favorite food pairings to enjoy with his Muscadine wines? Pan-seared Wreckfish (a local specialty found only off the South Carolina coast) and his Tara Gold. "Wreckfish does not have a very dominant flavor, and it nicely complements the flavorful Muscadine wine. We say when you drink Muscadine, you can really taste the grape," Irvin said. He also likes to pair goat cheese with Tara Gold. Blue cheese works best with his Magnolia, and he likes the sweeter Palmetto with chocolate desserts. He picks his Mullet Hall to drink with roasted chicken or pork chops.

The Future At Irvin-House

Irvin's wines are now available through several retailers, including Cost Plus World Market and Whole Foods, as well as at the tasting room, and Irvin hopes for a big increase in distribution. He wants to introduce his wines to restaurants and get exposure on fine dining wine lists. He formed the South Carolina Winery Association early in 2005, and is also active in the South Carolina Muscadine Association.

"We are involved and working to promote South Carolina wine country. We want South Carolina wineries to be recognized, as North Carolina and Georgia producers have been, as quality winemakers. We want this area to be known for its wine production and develop wine tourism," Irvin said.

(Gregory McCluney is a contributing editor to The Wine Report in Atlanta, and also writes about wine and spirits for AirTran Arrival in-flight magazine and the James Beard Newsletter. He is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association. Contact him through edit@winesandvines.com.)

PRINT »

E-MAIL THIS ARTICLE »

CLOSE THIS WINDOW »