A little over a year ago, we spent a sunny spring Saturday, wandering around the many vineyard and winery treasures in North Carolina’s Swan Creek AVA. Even though we’d visited many of the properties in Swan Creek, it had been a while, so we set our sights on visiting a relatively new gemstone in the Swan Creek crown, Midnight Magdalena Vineyards. When we arrived at their shimmering new, bright and welcoming new “Tasting House”, we were greeted by Owner, Jim Zimmer. I have to admit, I thought I knew a lot about wine grapes with 20+ years in the industry and 40+ years as a devout oenophile, but, behold, I found a new grape! And it’s fast gaining a place on my “most favorite” list, too! Jim turned us on to a remarkable variety, a vinicultural masterpiece developed by Cornell University called Corot Noir.
As the first winery to plant this exciting grape hybrid in North Carolina, Midnight Magdalena has truly “..hit it out of the park”! With it’s beautifully light body and gentle tannin profile, the red-fruit flavors make a “foodies” mind reel with possibilities! MMV’s Corot Noir is a testament to the quality, craftsmanship, and painstaking patience that’s evident in their whole portfolio. This Corot Noir has proven itself as a superstar pairing with some of our food-faves! More about the food link coming, but first, here’s what some of the experts have to say about this new and exciting phenom called Corot Noir…
MidnightMagdalena.com says…
“Such a dark wine, it surprises you with its light body and soft tannins. Smooth is the only way to describe this wine, with flavors of cherry and dark fruits. A medium finish that lingers just long enough to make you want more!”
And here’s the “inside-skinny” on the development of this delicious newcomer to the Tarheel State Wine scene. From everything we’re seeing so far, the Corot Noir grape is here to stay!
from Wikipedia.com
Corot noir is a Hybrid grape variety for use in red wine production. It was developed by grape breeder Bruce Reisch at the Cornell University New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and released on July 7, 2006.
Corot noir is the result of a cross between hybrids Seyve Villard 18-307 and Steuben in 1970. It ripens mid-season to late-season, and according to Reisch, its wines “are free of the hybrid aromas typical of many other red hybrid grapes, and can be used for varietal wine production or for blending. The distinctive red wine has a deep red color and attractive berry and cherry fruit aromas”.
from WineSearcher.com
“Corot Noir is a dark-skinned red grape variety developed by Cornell University in New York. It is an interspecific crossing (hybrid) of Seyve-Villard 18-307 and Steuben.
Corot Noir grapes make intensely colored red wine with cherry-like aromas and none of the foxy aromas often associated with hybrids, particularly those with Vitis labrusca parentage. In this regard it bears certain similarities to Chambourcin, a Franco-American hybrid of uncertain parentage, which also has Seyve and Seibel hybridization in its genetic history.
A variety purpose-built to survive in cooler continental climates with harsh winters, Corot Noir has proven well suited to viticulture across the northeastern states of America, from Pennsylvania and New York (most notably in Finger Lakes) to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. It also has good resistance to vine diseases and fungal infections, including powdery mildew and botrytis.
Corot Noir was developed alongside other hybrids at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. Noiret was one of these, and also has Steuben as one of its parents. Corot tends to give more generous yields than its half-brother, although it has smaller berries, making its wines slightly more tannic with greater color intensity.
Food matches for Corot Noir include roasted leg of lamb with oregano and mint, and spaghetti Bolognese.”
Beneath the Cork’s recommended food pairing…GRILL-SEARED SOUS VIDE LAMB CHOPS WITH WILD MOREL RISOTTO
Wanna know what else the Midnight Magdalena Corot Noir ABSOLUTELY ROCKS with? Grill-seared sous vide lamb chops with wild morel risotto! Yes, indeedy, my hungry buddies! Corot is the BOMB with lamb seasoned simply with a sprig of rosemary, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper! The slightly tart cherry notes of this wine are truly a match made in heaven with the rich texture and supple flavors of perfectly cooked medium-rare lamb and the creamy, woodsy flavors of the morel risotto. If you’d like the recipe for either, reach out to me…I’ll happily share them with you instead of taking up space here with lengthy recipes and instructions.
Meanwhile, here’s a recommendation…next time you find yourself looking for a close and easy weekend get-away, make the short sojourn up I-77 to Midnight Magdalena Vineyards. Not only will you be charmed with the beauty of their vineyards and “Tasting House”, but you’ll be blown away by the across-the-board quality of every wine they make! (FOODY NOTE – I’ll bet you can’t taste MMV’s Rosé of Sangiovese or their Dry Riesling without visions of fabulous food pairings dancing in your head!)
And, once again, that’s a wrap!
Until next time, I close with the words of one of the late, great luminaries of the Columbia, SC wine scene. Bill Tuller used to say “If you always open your best bottle of wine first, you’ll never have to open your worst bottle of wine!” I agree, Bill! It’s ALL good!
And as we always say at the close of each of our Beneath the Cork posts…
“There’s no need to stay thirsty, my friends!”