The Concord Grape.

As my favorite wine, I always wondered about the Concord grape.  Who discovered the fruit? Where does it come from?  What does the actual grape look like and does it taste as sweet as the wine it produces?

I started looking around for information and found a brief history of the grape.  In 1849, Ephraim Wales Bull planted a new seed and produced the Concord grape from the wild grapevine Vitis Labrusca.  Where did he do all of this?  Well, in Concord, Massachusetts, of course.  This seems fitting, since I learned that this fruit is native to North America and is mostly grown in the northern regions of the country.  After planting and harvesting this grape, Ephraim worked to create a superior crop and in 1853his grapes won first place in the Boston Horticultural Society Exhibition.  I knew this grape was good but with awards to prove it, no one can deny the deliciousness of this fruit. 

Whether the Concord grape is consumed as a wine, juice, or jam, the sweetness of the large, purple skinned round grape satisfies any age group. Young children enjoy it in their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Adults enjoy it in the sweet dessert wine served after dinner.  This is the product of the Concord grape that fascinates me.  On a nice summer Sunday afternoon or cold winter’s night, I love relaxing and enjoying a glass of the "Clover Hill Winery Concord wine.  So my next question, how is this sweet wine made?

After looking around, I found some facts about the wine that surprised.  First, the Concord grape is not as sweet as you may think.  Instead, it contains more pectin and acid that many people find unfavorable in taste.  To help create a more desirable beverage, many producers will add sugar and water to help balance the taste with the acidity of the juice.  Once processing the grapes and bottling the drink, it must age for two years before being considered ready to drink.  While I knew that most wines get better with age, I never knew that this wine was one of them.  I guess when I buy my next bottle, I will start looking for a label with the year 2009 on it. 

To be honest, I have never had a bad bottle of Concord wine.  While I may be biased, as it is my favorite, I ask you to try it for yourself.  Knowing that this wine is native to America, I urge you to try a wine from the vines of our country.  When you do, let me know.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this grape that has been harvested for over 160 years.  If you live in Southeastern Pennsylvania, try any winery near you and I can almost guarantee they make their own Concord wine. 

When you try this amazing, sweet beverage, be sure to toast to Ephraim Wales Bull for creating in the first place!

Random: Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance." - Benjamin Franklin

Let’s Get Down to Business.

Winery or Vineyard?  What’s the difference and how do you decide which type of establishment is right for you?  First, let’s take a look at the two types of businesses:

First, what exactly is a winery?

This is where wine is produced.  Everything from removing the leaves and stems to crushing the fruit to bottling the wine happens here.  When you see images of barrels upon barrels in a facility, this is an image from a winery.  Did you know that it is possible to own a winery without growing your own grapes?  Some wineries purchase grapes from vineyards all over the world to produce wine.  This is why wineries are capable of producing wines from grapes that are not native to that region.  They also do not have as much overhead costs when it comes to maintaining the business than that of a vineyard.

So, what is a vineyard?

This is where the grapes are grown.  When you see images of fields with rows of vines and trees, this is a vineyard.  This is where grapes are planted, grown, and harvested.  From here, they can either be sent to the winery on location or sold to other wineries.  Most vineyards do have their own processing facilities on location.  However, some businesses solely focus on producing and selling grapes.  It all depends on how you structure your business.

Now that you have a quick overview of each type of business, how do you know which one is right for you?

First, look at your budget.  Determine how much money you have to invest in a new business.  Vineyards do require a larger start-up cost and the payback period is much longer since the average time from plantation to the first harvest for grapes is five years.  However, if you choose this option, at the start of your business, you can purchase grapes from other vineyards until your vines are ready to be harvested.  Also in the long run, growing and harvesting your own crop would reduce your purchasing expenses. 

If you aren’t looking to farm and harvest grapes, but love wine and the wine-making process, a winery is the perfect fit for you.  By eliminating the land and vines from your business, you have created an establishment that focuses on developing the science of the wine-making process.  Your investments will focus on processing equipment and technologies regarding wine-making, whereas, if you owned a vineyard, your investments would be spread out between processing and harvesting equipment as well as land management. 

I will not say one venture is better than the other.  Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Your personality and business interest will determine which type of establishment is right for you.

Whichever you choose, let me know.  I will want to try your wine!

Random:  Check out this winery in California: Cleavage Creek Winery.  

10% of all profits go to Breast Cancer Research.