Concord
What is it?
Concord is a red grape from Massachusetts -- the name of the grape came from the town where it originated. Concord is the most planted grape in New York [2]! Many Concord wines are also kosher, as there are large kosher populations in the same areas the wine is grown and distribuited. Most wines made from Concord grapes are off-dry, which means they are on the sweeter side. Concord grapes are also commonly used in grape jellies and juices.
Something interesting about Concord grapes is they are actually from a different species of grapes than typical wine grapes [3]. Most wines are made from Vitis vinifera grapes; however, Concord grapes are from the species Vitis labrusca [3]. Though V. vinifera is the parent grape of V. labrusca, there are differences between the two species, including that Concord grapes contain more juice, more sugar, and are higher in acidity than wine grapes [3]. Concord grapes also have "slip-skins", which means their skins come off easily in the wine-making process; this often results in a very low-tannin wine.
Primary flavors of Concord wines are grape, plum sauce, musk, potting soil, and cumin [1]. Suggested food pairings are aged cheeses or foods with sweet and tangy sauces. We had this wine as an apertif to homemade mac and cheese.
Molly's Rating and Tasting Notes
7.8. It's a tasty wine for sure. Strong grape jelly essence on the nose and on the tongue. Not much else I can detect. Maybe a little bit of artificial taste, but I think that's just how the alcohol is presenting itself in this wine. We got a standard bottle of this wine for $5, and honestly, for the price, it is a steal. I think it's not quite as good as a good Riesling or Moscato, but it's pretty good. I'd drink it pretty much any day, and I'd recommend it to people that don't like alcohol or wine (or people that do but want to try something fun)!
Ryan's Rating and Tasting Notes
7.5. If you were to blindly smell this and then smell Welch's grape juice, you'd have a hard time discerning the two. The only tell would possibly be a slight ethanol scent, but you really have to stick your nose in the glass to pick that out. Upon tasting it's very sweet. Easily the sweetest wine I've ever had. Like its smell, it tastes very similar to Welch's grape juice. For those of you in the know, a better comparison would be to the jelly in those Asian jellly cups with chunks of lychee that you slurp straight out of the package. Overall, a very enjoyable wine and at the price of $5, you can't beat that.
References
[1] Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack. Wine Folly: The Master Guide. Avery - A Penguin Imprint, New York, NY, 2018.
[2] "Concord." Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/grapes/concord/. Accessed: April 2023.
[3] "Everything about Concord Grape Wine." iLoveWine. https://ilovewine.com/concord-grape-wine/. Accessed: April 2023.