Native American Wine Grapes

Most of the grapes we learned about in class all come from the same species, Vitis Vinifera. Now grown on every continent except Antartica, Vitis Vinifera was first cultivated in southeastern Georgia and spread by humans.

Vitis Vinerfa acounts for 5 thousand to ten thousand different varieties of grapes, including most of the grapes we're used to drinking. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvingon, Chardonnay,  Zinfandel,  Carmenere, Sauvignon blanc, and more are all examples of Vitis Vinerfa varietals.

Vitis Vinerfa, however, is not the only species of grape. Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis rupestris, and Vitis mustangensis are all grape species native to North America and capable of producing wine.

Vitis labrusca, a species native to Eastern North America, produces the flavor we typically think of as "grape". Varieties include: Antoinette (white), Catawba, Cayuga (white), Concord, and Niagara. Wines made from Vitis labrusca are generally quite sweet with a "foxy" musk that comes from methyl anthranilate.

Vitis Riparia is most famous for saving European grapes from ruin during the Phylloxera crisis. European grapes were grafted onto Vitis Riparia roots. Notable varities include Bacchus, Baco Noir, Elvira (white), Frontenac, Marechal Foch, and Triomphe d’Alsace.

Vitis rotundifolia is native to the Southeastern United States and is best known for Muscadine  or Scuppernong grapes. These grapes are high in anti-acids and have recently been show to reduce the build up of fatty liver, a major cause of obesity.

 Vitis Aestivalis is known as the summer grape and is native to eastern North America from Southern Ontario to Florida. The best known variety, Norton, is considered to be the oldest cultivated grape in the Americas. Norton is also considered high potential for fine American wines because it has a lower acidity, neutral, "vinifera-like" flavour profile.

Vitis Rupestris hails from the Ozark Hills of Missouri and Arkansas, but has been used for a number of French hybrids including Chancellor, DeChaunac, Aurore, Vidal Blanc, and Vignoles. Vitis Rupestris is known for doing well in sandy soils.

Finally, Vitis Mustangensi is known for the iconic Mustang horse. Native to the Southern United States, Vitis Mustangensi is considered to be bitter with high acidity. Not a lot of winemakers are currently using Vitis Mustangensi, but they could produce interesting wines.

Information from Wikipedia and WineFolly