What Is Muscadine Wine?

Muscadine is an American grape variety that has been used for winemaking for centuries now. The making of wine that started from St. Augustine, Florida spread to different parts of America and the world, in no matter of time. Muscadine wine is essentially prepared from deep purple and bronze-toned grapes, which are native to North Carolina. 

Muscadine grapes can be used to make both white and red wine. Both of these are highly popular wines. Apart from its great antioxidant properties, muscadine wine also reduces free radicals in the body which have the potential to cause chronic heart diseases and certain cancers in the body. Also, it is popularly known as sweet wine because of the huge amounts of sugar that were added to it to resemble the flavor of other types of grapes.

How to Make Muscadine Wine?

If you are a great lover of wine, then this recipe is made for you to try out. After all, what is better than preparing wine yourself and telling the world about it. Here is a simple, old-fashioned muscadine wine recipe that would definitely lure you if you’re a wine lover. Ingredients required: 6 cups granulated water, 3 quarts (a quarter of a gallon) of filtered water, 1-quart mashed muscadine grapes, 1 packet dry active yeast

Muscadine wine recipe:

1. Collect all the ingredients in a container and dissolve the sugar in the water.
2. Add the grapes to the water and also sprinkle the yeast on the top of the mixture. Don’t stir the mixture.
3. Cover the container with a clean cloth or a towel and keep it in a dark, cool place. Keep the ideal temperature of the place between 68 to 72 F, and leave it for around 24 hours.
4. Take the mixture out after 24 hours, stir it and place it again in a cool place after covering it well. Starting from this day, you would be required to stir this mixture every day for one week, at the same time.
5. Follow this for seven days, after which, strain the liquids into a different container with an airlock.
6. Fill the container with water completely, up to its brim. Let the wine ferment in a cool and dark setting for around 6 weeks.
7. Take out the container after six weeks and strain the liquids again placing it in a clean container. Cap the container for three days, to prevent any further fermentation from taking place.
8. Your muscadine wine is now ready. Pour it into airtight bottles and store it in the fridge.

How to store Muscadine Wine?

Now that you’ve learned how to make this old fashioned sweet wine, you’d also be required to store it. hence, you must know how to store it properly. Firstly, remember to store your wine in a cool place. Your homemade wine’s shelf life primarily depends upon two things: whether your storage containers and bottles were cleaned well, and whether you used sulfites in the making of the wine. 

Clean, sanitized bottles ensure that no bacterial growth takes place and the wine remains as good as when it was prepared. On the other hand, sulfites act as preservatives that help food and beverages last long. In the recipe that we’ve mentioned above, we haven’t used sulfites which means a reduction in the shelf life. If you prepare muscadine wine using our method, you will be required to consume the wine within 3 to 6 months. If you witness any mold, or any faulty smell, or any change in texture, it’s time to get rid of the wine. 

Why is Muscadine Wine relatively unknown?

Most grape varieties that are used to make wine come from the Vitis vinifera family, while the muscadine grapes belong to the Vitis rotundifolia group. The major difference between the two species lies in the sweetness and the alcohol by volume (ABV) content. 

Muscadine wine is native mainly to the southeastern states of the U.S., whether the weather conditions are uniquely fit for muscadine grapes to grow. The Vitis vinifera grapes generally cannot grow under such conditions, and this makes muscadine grapes relatively unknown.

Another major reason for their unpopularity is that these grapes aren’t very beneficial for the farmers. They need very specific weather conditions to grow and only sell for around $350 a ton. This value is around one-fifth of the value of the other varieties of grape, and hence, farmers do not have very profitable incentives to grow muscadine grapes.

Health Benefits of Muscadine Wine

• Owing to the thick skin of these grapes, wine prepared from them is highly rich in antioxidants.
• The contents of this wine are loaded with polyphenols, ellagic acid, and resveratrol, all of which are highly helpful in controlling obesity and liver problems.
• Muscadine grapes are also known to suppress the growth of cancer cells in our bodies.
• With its extremely high polyphenol level (highest out of all wines), muscadine wine is a known supporter of good heart health.

• Antioxidants present in muscadine wine help in the reduction of free radicals in the body, further helping with serious problems like osteoporosis, dementia, diabetes, etc.
• By improving your gut microbiome, muscadine wine can also help in improving your digestive health and reducing any problems related to the stomach.

To sum up, muscadine wine carries a ‘hate it or love it’ reputation. Even though it might not be the most ideal grape to grow, it is loved in entire southeastern America and is a beautiful addition to the diverse food history of the U.S. While not everybody who drinks muscadine wine would like it, we would suggest people with a sweet tooth to not miss on this wine by any chance. 

Sweet muscadine wines are a perfect touch to a good meal and you can drink it along with BBQ, pork chops, fatty meals, etc. this wine also comes in different flavors like banana, bruised apple, and cranberries, including subtle notes of herbal, citrus, floral, etc. We hope this helps you understand and discover the ‘unpopular’ muscadine wine. Also, don’t just read, go and try it out, too!

Also Read: Delicious Muscadine Wine Recipe