Harvesting the Health Benefits of Muscadine Grapes by Carrie Frye | Photography by Diana Matthews
R
ow after row of muscadine grapevines weave along the acreage of Adams Vineyards in Willow Spring. The family’s century farm of eight generations dates back to the 1700s. Basking in the summer sun, the lush vines boast brillant shades of green weighed down with clusters of grapes ripening to perfection. Since 2006, these fields that once produced tobacco as the major crop now also cultivate more than 15 varieties of the droughtresistant bronze and black muscadines. There are fresh market varieties for the pick-your-own visitors at the vineyard as well as juice and wine grapes. “The varietal trait determines when the grapes are ready, and it can swing depending on the weather,” says Quincy Adams, owner and vintner at Adams Vineyards. “This year, some are early, and we harvest them when they are ready.” Of the fresh market varieties ready for picking and eating, Fry muscadines have both an early and late variation. “Fry is a favorite and a true Southern Scuppernong,” he says of the large well-known variety of muscadine named for the Scuppernong River that that flows through Tyrrell and Washington counties along North Carolina’s coastal plain. Quincy makes his rounds through the vineyard daily to evaluate the ripeness of the fruit. Although the harvest process occurs from mid-August through October, pruning and tending to the vines is a year-round labor of love. “Walking through and taste testing is the best way to do it,” he says, smiling. “That way I can make sure they have the true flavor, and each variety is different.” Determining if the sugars are at the right level for harvest is also a key part of the viticulture—the science and production of grapes for winemaking. CONTINUED PAGE 53
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OutreachNC.com | SEPTEMBER 2015