Vitis rotundifolia

By 1830, several other native grapes had achieved acceptance. The Scuppemong grape, Vitis rotundifolia, and the Norton, a Vitis aestivalis variety, were being grown in the southern states. In the northern states, the Clinton, a Vitis riparia variety, was gaining acceptance. 

Parish, M. E. and Carroll, D. E. (1985). Indigenous yeasts associated with Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) grapes and musts. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 36,165-169. 

Sandhu, A.K. Gu, L. 2010. Antioxidant capacity, phenolic content, and profiling of phenolic compounds in the seeds, skin, and pulp of Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine Grapes) as determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS(n). J. Agric. Food Chem. 58 4681-4692. 

Each cultivar possesses a specific flavonol and dihydroflavonol profile (quantitative and qualitative aspect) that could be used for taxonomic characterization (Mattivi et al. 2006 Masa et al. 2007). It was believed that white cultivars did not contain any methylated flavonol until Rodriguez Montealegre et al. (2006) detected small amounts of isorhamnetin glucoside in their skins. Based on a survey of 91 Vitis vinifera cultivars, Mattivi et al. (2006) concluded that isorhamnetin derivatives are present in small amounts in white cultivars whereas derivatives of myricetin, laricitrin and syringetin appear to be specific of red cultivars. However, myricetin was detected in some white Muscadine cultivars (Vitis rotundifolia sp.) (Talcott and... 

Methyl anthranilate was long considered to be solely responsible for the foxy smell of Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia grapes (Power and Chesnnt, 1921). It is now known that other compounds are involved in the aromas of these varieties (Fignre 7.17). 

Fig. 7.17. Various compounds identified in Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia grapes and wines...

The muscadine grape vine was discovered in 1584 growing wild near the Scuppernong River located in the Northeast part of North Carolina (J ) The muscadine grape embraces two species, Vitis munsoniana and Vitis rotundifolia. 

Vitis rotundifolia is the species commonly cultivated commercially in the Southeast. Work with this fruit was begun... 

Vitis rotundifolia differs so widely botanically from the other species of Vitis that some scientists place it in a separate grouping. This distinctive grouping has become so well known in the southern states that to the grower there are two classes of grapes, muscadine or Scuppernong and the so-called bunch grapes (4). 

Carroll, Hoover and Nesbitt (8), in a 1971 study, also recognized that the level of total soluble solids in the mature fruits of Vitis rotundifolia were low, ranging from 10 to 18%, while ripe VitTs vinifera and Vitis labrusca berries generally ranged between 19 to 24% and 13 to 21%, respectively. Glucose and fructose are known to be the principal sugars of Vitis vinifera with sucrose present in only trace quantities, whereas up to 5.2% of sucrose was found in the 12 cultivars of Vitis rotundifolia studied by Carroll (8). 

The rose-like aroma of B-phenylethanol is an important constituent of the Vitis rotundifolia aroma. Bitter phenolics present in Vitis labrusca-Vitis vinifera hybrids are especially important in hybrids with Vitis cinerea and Vitis cortfolia but... 

Sims, C.A., Johnson, R.P., and Bates, R.P. Quahty of a nonsulfited Vitis rotundifolia and a Euvitis hybrid white wine produced from ultrafiltered juice. Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 40, 272,1989. 

Petunin ( petunidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside). C2sH330n. Mr 641.56, violet platelets with a copper like gloss (aqueous HCl), mp. 178 °C, uv, a, 540 nm (methanolic HCl). The anthocyanin P. occurs in the grapevine (Vitis rotundifolia, Vitaceae), in the flowers of Petunia hybrids (Solanaceae), in blue grapes (Vitis vinifera, Vitaceae), in bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus, Ericaceae), and other plants,... 

The results obtained in our studies showed that the concentration of total phenols of both Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble wines increased with increasing skin fermentation time. These concentrations varied significantly from 831 to 821 mg/L GAE (from 7 to 14 days) for Cabernet Sauvignon and from 1096 to 1269 mg/L GAE (from 7 to 14 days) for Noble. However, in Chambourcin wines, the concentration of total phenols decreased significantly with increasing skin fermentation time (from 971 to 699 mg/L GAE). 

Extended skin contact treatment did not result in tannic wines and could produce wines with good color stability (Sims and Bates, 1994). However, some species or cultivars (such as Vitis rotundifolia) may not be suitable for extended skin fermentation, since they may not possess the type of phenols and/or anthocyanins that will polymerize, and consequently soften and provide color stability (Sims and Morris, 1985). 

Goldy, R.G., Ballinger, W.E., Maness, E.P., 1986. Fruit anthocyanin content of some Euvi-tis X Vitis rotundifolia hybrids. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. Ill, 955-960. 

Barchenger, D.W., Clark, J.R., ThrelfaU, R.T., Howard, L.R., and Brownmiller, C.R. Effect of field fungicide applications on storability, physiochemical, and nutraceutical content of muscadine grape Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) genotypes HortScience 49, 1315-1323. 

Conner, P.J., 2010. A century of muscadine grape Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) breeding at the University of Georgia. J. Am. Pomol. Soc. 64, 78-82. 

Detjen, L.R., 1919. The limits in hybridization of Vitis rotundifolia with related species and genera. North Carolina Agri. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bull. 17. 

Dunstan, R.T., 1964. Hybridization of Euvitis x Vitis rotundifolia backcrosses to muscadine. Rroc. Am. Soc. Hort Sci. 84, 238-242. 

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