FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Contacts: Aaron Tuell, Public Relations Director
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
252-473-2138 office
New Wine Introduced From America’s Oldest Cultivated Grapevine
The Mother Vine May Have Fed England’s First Colonists In The New World cir. 1584
ROANOKE ISLAND, NC (July 15, 2008) The oldest grapevine in America continues to bear fruit for the Outer Banks, where its sweet white Scuppernong grapes are found naturally nowhere else. Mother Vine Premium Scuppernong Wine was introduced to the world at a ceremony on Roanoke Island, where the Mother Vine has been cultivated dating back 400 plus years. The first English colony in the New World, sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, landed on Roanoke Island in 1584 and described “grapes of such greatness, yet wild, that France, Spain nor Italy hath not greater.” The Scuppernong variety of Muscadine grape Vitis rotundifolia is North Carolina’s official state fruit.
David Fussell, whose Duplin Winery is bottling the new wine from cultivated clippings, thinks the heritage and biology of the Mother Vine is deserving of international recognition. “I’ve been growing grapes since 1972, and there’s nothing else in the world like it. Every Scuppernong grape can trace its roots back to this vine. It could be whole lot older. It is an absolutely spectacular specimen.” Whether the vine was planted by the first colonists, or indigenous Native Americans, or developed naturally and then was cultivated, no one really knows for sure.
The wine is described as tasting like no other, but may be comparable to a German ice wine. Sweet, fruity and fresh with a perfect acid balance. Estelle Wilson, who with her husband Jack have owned the Manteo property on which the Mother Vine continues to grow says she has tried to be a good steward for more than 51 years. “It’s been a privilege. We don’t even get to eat the fruit anymore, because the local children come over and pick them. They love them so much, I’d rather they eat them.”
“Many people don’t realize the rich winemaking heritage of North Carolina,” says NC Wine & Grape Council Executive Director Margo Knight Metzger. Prior to the Civil War, North Carolina was the leading producer of wine in America. "The Mother Vine reminds us that our state is the home of American winemaking. We can celebrate this heritage along with our burgeoning industry we now enjoy today with more than 70 wineries."
To learn more, log onto the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau website www.outerbanks.org or speak to one of our information specialists toll free at 877-629-4386.
# # #
About The Outer Banks
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a 130 mile chain of barrier islands located midway on the Atlantic Coast. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is a public authority and the lead marketing and promotional agency for Dare County's Outer Banks. www.outerbanks.org