Looking for Swap with a Good Ole Southern Brewer

[oldwoman]

A recent conversation with a few big time vit/enology nerds brought up the topic of grape cultivars, including Muscadinia rotundifolia, which along with providing a breeding cultivar with resistance to Pierce's disease (neat!) is also made into a really funky wine of it's own. Being a California native born and raised, I had never heard of muscadine wine. Being a complete food dork, I knew I wanted to try some really badly.

So, I figured this would be a good chance for a swap with someone down south a ways who has access to this stuff. I live in Northern California and can get things from North Coast, Russian River, Lost Abbey, etc fairly easily. Want to trade some wine and/or beers?? Ideally we could throw in a few homebrews as I always like to get feedback, but if you just want commercial stuff that would be fine with me.

[Niedermier]

I'm down. I live north of Atlanta and about 45 minutes from the Chateau Elan winery

Below is an excerpt from their website describing their muscadine offerings. I can get this stuff pretty easily so if you want to do that we can.

Native only in the Southeast, the muscadine grape is characterized by heady rose and lemon aromas and was traditionally made into a sweet, low-alcohol wine. Château Élan has developed methods to harness and control these components, with the result being a light, fruity and uniquely Southern white wine.

Our Scuppernong variety of the muscadine grape, Vitis rotundifolia, is the most famous and oldest wine made in America. Many nutritionists still find that natural remedies may be the best way to help fight and even prevent disease. Scientists have found muscadine grapes are loaded with more healthy compounds than other much-touted foods such as blueberries, goji berries, green tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Muscadine grapes and their seeds are one of nature's best sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Compared to other grapes, muscadine grapes have 40 times more resveratrol -- the polyphenol, found in red wine that is proven to benefit cardiovascular health, blood sugar levels and the aging process, among other health issues.

Called "America's First Grape," muscadine grapes thrive in hot climates of the southeastern United States. This environment makes them unique in their ability to heal themselves from disease, bacteria and fungi.

Duncan Creek is our traditional muscadine grape wine. Like drinking a muscadine grape - a sweet white wine with citrus aromas.

Spring Blossom is a delightful wine combining the distinctive flavor of muscadines and the delicate fruity flavors of fresh strawberries. This is the consummate picnic wine and is great with desserts. Best served chilled.

Summer Wine is a sweet muscadine wine with peach flavor. One of our most popular wines.

Autumn Blush the distinctive taste of muscadines combined with the delicate flavors of fresh raspberries is captured in this semisweet, light-bodied wine. Its refreshing taste complements cheeses, fruits and desserts. Best served chilled.

[Niedermier]

By the way, the stuff is fairly reasonbly priced at around $9.95 for a 750ml bottle. So if you want to swap we can match values accordingly. I have a few homebrews ready for consumption (with the smoked brown going into keg this weekend, cant wait) and we have a few really good breweries around town (Sweetwater and Terrapin the most notable).

[oldwoman]

Nice, lets do it then. In return are you looking for all commercials or a mix? Anything specific you want to try from a West Coast or California brewery? Any styles to avoid?

I've never had anything from Terrapin or Southern Tier and have heard they are both great, but I'm usually more interested in trying another brewers wares if you're willing to part with them. As for the wine I would really like to try a middle of the road example, something that is indicative of the style, though of course I don't even really know what that means.

[Niedermier]

I'll call the winery and see what they have in stock. The Chateau Elan Duncan Creek sounds like what you are looking for. We may also be heading into the mountains this weekend and there are always fall festivals and such where local wines are featured. As for commercials, Southern Tier has a great "almost" double IPA. I may also be able to still find their creme brulee stout. Terrapin has a great brown IPA, wheat wine, and Belgian IPA. Sweetwater IPA is my all-time favorite and they have a good seasonal ESB out right now. For homebrews, I have Old Ale, Smoked Brown, and English Rye IPA (not my favorite but I might send it anyways for the feedback). Any styles you do not like?

As for me, I'm good with all homebrew, all commercial, mix. Like you, I'm always most interested in other hombrews. No styles are off limits. Of course, we cant get Lost Abbey or Russian River here so those are always welcome.

[Steve Urquell]

This one is vinted just right down the road from me. Not really middle of the road though. Most muscadine wines are pretty cheap around here.

http://www.wiederkehrwines.com/redwine.html

Red Muscadine: This flavorful, semi-sweet wine, delicate yet fruity in quality, with a bouquet as charming as the early Southern mansions whose tables it first graced, is to be served well chilled. Definitely American, and delightfully delicious! Available in 750 ml or 1.5 liter bottles.

[oldwoman]

Not a big Belgian fan lately, but anything else is gold. I'm taking a hiking trip this weekend and should pass by a few decent beer stores/breweries, so I'll start looking. Always looking for feedback, so I'll make sure to give you a variety of the brews I've got on hand. I'll PM you my address in a few days when I round up some loot

[Niedermier]

Sounds good. I'll start gathering the muscadine wine.

[oldwoman]

Got a couple decent commercial brews, gonna bottle up what I got on tap over the next day or two. When you trying to ship?

[Niedermier]

I'll have the wine within a week. So as soon as I get it, I'm ready.

[oldwoman]

Your box shoulda arrived yesterday...did it?

[oldwoman]

Got my loot today, dug the super frugal packing btw. Tried the Old Ale and was pretty surprised but pleased. Bet it's just killer in a year

Had a cloudy, dark, porter-esque appearance. Super attractive dark head, almost stout like. Nice job keeping the carb if it was bottled from a tap.

Aroma is instantly whisky, molasses/maple syrup, maybe a touch of smoke behind all that. Super complex but tasty, each whiff goes through a ton of different layers. Little bit of oat/cereal buried in all of that.

Oak is the first hit on the tongue, caramel malt follows, then more oak on the finish. Initial swallow is sour/super oak tannic as it clears the palate. Oak flavor lingers a bit after the swallow. Couple more sips in and the burnt sugar/molasses is coming to the front, especially when you just rest it in your mouth a bit. Bit of alcohol brushes over everything now, guessing it's pretty high? There is some sort of old plum or dark cherry flavor that seems to fade in and out. As I get past the halfway point of the glass the oak really begins to subside, becomes only apparent between sips as it just seems to sit on the tongue. Very interesting beer, almost different with every sip.

[oldwoman]

You try any of those yet? I'm interested to know if they held their carb at all AND if they were tasty obviously