5 Grapes Native to the United States

If someone asked you to name a wine grape native to the United States, what would you say?

Most would think of Zinfandel; however, they'd be wrong. Your second thought might be, do 'American grapes' even exist? Well, the answer is yes, and they've always been around. It's just that no one really knows about them!

When early settlers arrived on the East Coast, they found three native vine species: Vitis Labrusca, Vitis Aestivalis and Vitis Rotundifolia. The issue was that these grapes didn't make very good wine, and so they were used for juices, jams and jellies. However, over time, locals experimented using these grapes for wine, and today you can find five grape varieties from the USA used to make wine.

Concord (Vitis Labrusca)

Concord is a very grapey kind of grape. For that reason the vast majority of vines are used for the production of grape juice. Those which are used for vino are made into musky red kosher wine called Manischewitz.

Grown in: Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York

Catawaba (Vitis Labrusca)

Incredibly similar to Concord in taste, this late-ripening grape is most famous for its 'Pink Catawaba' variety, used to make one of the only native sparkling wines in the USA.

Grown in: New York

Niagara (Vitis Labrusca)

Referred to as Concord's white wine cousin, Niagara produces semi-sweet and sweet wines that have a particular muskiness about them. They are even described as being foxy (like an animals underground liar).

Grown in: New York

Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia)

Muscadine grapes have remarkable defense systems against harsh climates, especially humidity and various fungal diseases common to southern US states. Producing both white (Carlos and Scuppernong) and red (Noble) varieties, these vines commonly produce sweet, candied-fruit wines with musky perfume aromas.

Grown in: Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina and Mississippi

Norton/Cynthiana (Vitis Aestivalis)

Norton is the only native USA grape that does not lead to muskiness in wines. With Norton, you can expect a full-bodied and spicy red wine. As another grape that is extremely tolerant to humidity, Norton/Cynthiana grapes are grown in southern states. They also attain the most potential, creating some incredibly high-quality dry red wines.

Grown in: Missouri, Virginia and Texas

The United States does have native wine grapes, which you can still find and drink. Who would have thought?

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