Muscadine grapevines are a species that are found in the southeastern areas of the United States. They have been cultivated since the 16th century. It ranges from the state of New York all the way to Florida and to the states of Oklahoma , Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. They can also be found in parts of east Tennessee. They like the warm humid climates and do well in the heat of summer.
The grapes are from bronze to dark purple to black when fully ripened. Some of the wild varieties stay green. These grapes have a tougher skin than some others. Muscadines are used in a variety of products beside being eaten fresh. They are used in juice, jelly and of course making wine.
This grape is a good source of polyphenos and other nutrients that have been used for health benefits.In the wild muscadines play an important role by providing cover and fruit for several wildlife species. There has been some evidence that muscadines can be helpful against certain types of cancer such as colon, prostate and blood cancers.
Over three hundred muscadine cultivars grow in the southern states. Cultivars are varieties of a plant that have been cultivated and do not grow in the wild. Just a few of these are the bronze, red and black varieties. Some of these varieties are patented while others are quite common. Many of the muscadine cultivars are pistillate. This means that they require a pollenizer to set fruit. This is not the case with most cultivated grapevines. There are a few species of muscadine vines that are perfect flowered and can produce fruit with their own pollen. Two of these are know as ‘Carlos’ and ‘Noble’.
Carlos, Cowart, Flowers, Black Beauty, Granny Val, Fry, Ison, James, Memory, Jumbo, Magnolia, Mish,Nesbitt, Scuppernong, Summit, Thomas, and Supreme are just a few of the muscadine cultivars.
It takes from seven to five years to get a crop of muscadine grapevines started and it is not unrealistic to expect from eight to eighteen tons of grapes per acre once they have started to produce. The grapevines grow well in alluvial soils (loose soils that have been deposited and reshaped by water) and in fertile sandy loam.They are both pest and disease resistant.
Muscadines have been used to make wine all the way back to the 16th century. They are usually sweet in nature and are considered to be dessert wines by some. Some dry varieties of muscadine wines do exist.
