Soil, weather and winemaker make the wine
By By Stan Torgerson / wine columnist
Feb. 26, 2003
There are no miracles in wine making. Only the soil from which the grapes are grown, the weather that exists as they mature and the skill of the winemaker determines the final product.
Despite arguments from loyalists of the South, there are no distinguished wines made in our part of the country. We don't have the soil, our summers are too hot and none of the true wine-making experts live in our part of the country.
What we do have are hardy muscadine or scuppernong grapes. Neither lends itself to the quality of the cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel, syrah, chardonnay or other quality grapes grown in California, Washington or Oregon.
Hometown wines
Hundreds of time I have been told about a supposedly outstanding wine made by someone in a little Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana or Arkansas town that has to be tasted to be believed.
I've done my part. I've tasted. Not one has ever risen above the level of soda pop and most have fallen below even that standard.
Drive to Gatlinburg and you will see signs at the beginning of the mountains in Tennessee about a local winery offering alleged award winning wines and a free tasting to prove it.
You would have to be a total beginner to believe that particular wine ever won an award other than wine of the week in its home county.
There are two wineries in Gatlinburg itself. They have all the bells and whistles designed to make you think you have found a wine lover's paradise.
Oak barrels sitting around. Bottles with attractive labels. Cork screws of all kinds. Glasses that look as if they came off a restaurant table. After you've wandered around and been romanced, they will give you a taste of their various wines.
Sweet wine
Without exception the wines are on the sweet side, have no depth, no character and are like drinking a fruit soft drink with a touch of alcohol in it.
It isn't that wine lovers haven't tried in our part of the world. The first commercially cultivated vines were planted in Alabama in 1830.
When prohibition ended back in the early 1930s more than 100 wineries went into business in Arkansas. Now it's down to about seven, all sustained by tourists.
In our part of Mississippi not too many years ago Paul Broadhead attempted to create a market for muscadine grapes. He even had a middle island display counter in the then Village Fair mall featuring a wide variety of products made from that particular grape.
One sale per customer was about all he got. The repeat business wasn't there because muscadine grapes cannot compete against the quality of grapes grown elsewhere in the country. Not just in drinkable products but in jams and jellies as well. Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and other true fruit jams were just so much better.
Altar wine
Jesuit priests made altar wine in Louisiana as early as 1750 but the climate in that state is unsuitable for anything other than the scuppernong grape.
The result was the wine makers ignored the home grown and began importing their grapes from California or they made wine out of oranges. Scuppernong grapes just weren't good enough.
I have written before about Biltmore Estate wines in North Carolina. After you finish touring the former home of the Vanderbilts, truly one of America's greatest tourist attractions, they take you into their winery and then to a store attached to a tasting room.
They tell you that these are distinguished grapes, grown right there on the estate. Be sure to try some. On the 100-point scale used in wine tastings, the Biltmore house wines probably would be a 55 at best.
There is a reason why the greatest wines come from California, France, Australia, Italy and now even Spain, Chile and Argentina. It is exactly as we said beforethe soil, the climate and the skill of the wine makers.
Next tasting
At our America versus France wine tasting Thursday night, you will be able to judge for yourself how fine wines taste. There will be no scuppernong, no muscadine.
What there will be are fine cabernets from California matched against several outstanding French wines from Bordeaux. There will be a Napa Valley chardonnay facing a lovely chablis from French Burgundy. All are rated 90 points or above.
The tasting is $30. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at Northwood Country Club and you do not have to be a member to attend. Call 482-0930 and tell us you'd like to come and we'll confirm your reservation. Seven wines will be served and all of them will be worthy.
If Southern wines could compete we would have included them. But they can't and we didn't. You'll see why Thursday.
