# Sacalait's muscadine vineyard



## Sacalait (May 10, 2009)

For those inquiring minds.


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## Wade E (May 10, 2009)

That looks awesome there! Nice job.


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## Tom (May 10, 2009)

Looks real nice!
I have not tasted this grape. Can you tell me what it tastes like?


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## smurfe (May 10, 2009)

Excellent vines there. Looks great. How many gallons you getting after the birds are done with them? 

Tom, it's hard to describe a Muscadine flavor. It's tastes just like a grape but different.  Different strains will have different flavor as well. I really wish I could describe it in words. You here thee term "Foxy" but I have no idea what Fox tastes like.  It just has a "musky" flavor to me that is more prevalent in the wine than the raw grape.


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## Sacalait (May 10, 2009)

I picked 47 gallons in 2008 but a hurricane had a big impact on production. A normal years production would be 70-80 gallons.
Good answer on describing the taste, unless you've eaten a grape it's a little difficult to put your finger on it.


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## Racer (May 10, 2009)

Really nice vineyard you have going there Sacalait!


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## St Allie (May 10, 2009)

Wow.. that makes me want to put a row of grapes in the paddock myself.

Are they a lot of work?

Allie


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## Sacalait (May 11, 2009)

More labor intense than grapes since they must be picked individually but on the other hand, they're not as prone to diseases as are grapes.

David


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## St Allie (May 18, 2009)

Fascinated and went looking for information online..

found this 

http://www.isons.com/muscadine_grape.htm

do you have any scuppernongs ?

I'm on the hunt to find a couple of muscadine vines for my garden.

Allie


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## Sacalait (May 18, 2009)

Allie, I have 8 varieties but none are scuppernog specific by name however I'd guess some were likely derived from the scuppernog. Most of the vines came from Ison's nursery.
I recently acquired a variety that is a cross between a bunch grape and muscadine (southern home) and I'm looking forward to it producing next year.

David


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## St Allie (May 18, 2009)

I'd be very interested in your posts on that David. I have 8 acres here currently raising young beef cattle and my bloke is wanting to put it into wine grapes. I would prefer to put it into a variety that is rare in NZ.. Makes my harvest sought after, valuable and without the import difficulties of juice from elsewhere.

Allie


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## Wade E (May 18, 2009)

Do you sweeten the Muscadine wine or leave it dry, which is your pref? ive only had 1 botle of each scup. and Musc and liked them both butthey were also first time made from a wine maker.


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## Sacalait (May 19, 2009)

I sweeten to an SG of 1.001+/- and that is a little low since a higher sugar content will bring out more of the muscadine flavor.


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## Sacalait (May 19, 2009)

St Allie said:


> I'd be very interested in your posts on that David. I have 8 acres here currently raising young beef cattle and my bloke is wanting to put it into wine grapes. I would prefer to put it into a variety that is rare in NZ.. Makes my harvest sought after, valuable and without the import difficulties of juice from elsewhere.
> 
> Allie



I'll keep you posted. Those vines are very aggressive so I'm expecting fruit next year. Generally, muscadines will start bearing in the 3rd year.


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## mjdtexan (Jun 9, 2009)

Huh, I missed this thread. Thank You so much for the pictures. I almost ordered muscadine vines from an internet muscadine place but I have found them growing wild in a park about 6 miles from the house. I am waiting on them to fruit. I have a couple of questions for you iffin you dont mind.

1) Will they grow well from the seed (there is a seed in there aint there?)?

2) If I am forced to take cuttings what time of the year is best for me to do this.

I am in Houston(ish) Texas.

Mjd


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## Sacalait (Jun 9, 2009)

Yes they will grow from seed but you'd be waiting a long time for fruit. Cuttings are normally taken in the dormant season...Feb-March. If you are going this route you'd do well buying a self pollinating variety to go with them. Self pollinators are just that but they also pollinate other non-pollinating vines adjacent to them. Adjacent=no more than 20' away. Good pollinators are Ison (purple) and Fla. Fry (golden). This is the time of year to layer a plant and it takes only about 6weeks to get one going.


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## donnaclif (Oct 2, 2009)

Tom said:


> Looks real nice!
> I have not tasted this grape. Can you tell me what it tastes like?



Oh yess. this is basically grwon in southeastern United States, i twas earlier known as Scuppernong. the fruit is borne in small, loose clusters of 3-40 grapes, quite unlike the large, tight bunches characteristic of European and American grapes, there are really very nice wines made from this grape, if you want to know of wines made from this grape you can visit 
http://www.vivino.com/grapes/muscadine/
and search all the wins!


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## toddrod (Dec 7, 2010)

Very nice vineyard there. 

I have Ison, Darlene, Pam and Sweet Jenny right now. I plan on adding a Pineapple next year.


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## Sirs (Dec 7, 2010)

also when you plant from seed you never know what your gonna get from all I've been told, cuttings are the best way to go that way you know what your getting or plants from a nursery


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## toddrod (Dec 7, 2010)

You are correct. Planting from seed will get you a cross. If you get your seeds from a pollinator (ie Ison) and have only 1 pollinator in the area, will you have a good chance of getting the seed to be that variety.


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## Sirs (Dec 7, 2010)

true but there is probly some wild vines in your area also


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## Snowbird (Dec 10, 2010)

Man that looks very nice! I'm about to bottle some wild muscadine. I followed some of the tips you give me. So , if I took some cuttings from some of the wild vines it would be a good idea to get some self pollinators to go with them?


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