Erik Martella Blazing New Trail With Muscadine Wines

Can Muscadine grapes produce truly elevated American wines?

Erik Martella spent nearly two decades as a winemaker and winery manager for some of California’s largest and most recognizable brands. In 2018 he left the world of corporate winemaking and returned to family roots, eventually settling in Western North Carolina.

His latest endeavor has a twist. Working with winery and vineyard partners in North Carolina, he is crafting small-batch limited releases of American fine wines crafted with Muscadine grapes.

Muscadine Grapes Are A Southern Favorite

North Carolina is awash with Muscadine grapes, with about 1,200 acres currently grown in the state. Many are made into sweet red and white wines. These are good-time wines for picnics and summertime fun – but while popular, a good segment of wine lovers dismiss these wines as too sweet and simple.

Instead of trying to duplicate European wines, Martella is determined to elevate these grapes to uniquely American fine wines.

More than 99 percent of the world’s fine wines are made with vitis vinifera grapes. This species gives us Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and a plethora of other recognized wine grapes.

Erik Martella and Red. Courtesy of Erik Martella Wine

Muscadines, on the other hand, are a different species and are native to the American southeast. They are larger, have looser clusters, thicker skins, and have unique acid and aroma profiles compared to traditional wine grapes. They also have higher concentrations of potentially healthful compounds such as resveratrol.

They are also hardy grapes, resistant to many diseases that plague traditional wine grapes. As a result, Muscadines can often be grown with no pesticides at all. Martella works primarily with two Muscadine grapes, the white Carolos and the red called Noble.

We sampled two releases by Erik Martella. The 2021 CVB Sparkling is a 60/40 blend of Carlos and Vidal Blanc. The varieties were hand-picked and fermented separately, then blended together for a second fermentation using the tank method.

A Puzzling And Distinctive Aroma

Upon sniffing both wines, we were hit with a pungent aroma quite different from a typical white wine. Digging below the musky odor, the fruity aroma of the grapes emerged. This sparkler is unfiltered and spends time on the lees to gain additional complexity. The palate has a layer of toast with a splash of muscadine “grapiness.” There is stone fruit and a dash of citrus. I found myself puzzling about the wine, which evolved in the glass, calling me back for more. This is a small production run with 97 cases produced.

The 2022 Summer Kitchen is 100% Carlos, made in the traditional white wine method. Since I mostly focus on vinifera wines, I called in reinforcements. My friend Arthur Barham, whose handle is Merlot2Muscadine, joined me in sipping this wine. I told him I was bumfuzzled by the aroma and he encouraged me to swirl and sniff deeper, then enjoy the unique and pleasant scent of Muscadine. It offers peach and apricot notes with flavors of bruised apple and mushroom. Allowing the wine to warm in the glass provides layers of complexity that I didn’t expect from Muscadine.

Tasting these wines was an experience that helped me expand my palate and my thinking. I’m anxious to see the tasty fruits of Erik Martella’s crusade. The wines are priced at $46 for Summer Time and $52 for the CVB Sparkling. See the Erik Martella website for ordering.