CARPE TRAVEL WINE 101:
GET TO KNOW THE GRAPES
GETTING TO KNOW
La Crescent WINE
La Crescent is a light-skinned French-American hybrid that produces semi-sweet and off-dry wines that are balanced with some retained acidity. This aromatic white wine exhibits flavors of burnt sugar, caramel and green apple cider.
First introduced in 2002, by the University of Minnesota, La Crescent has a diverse ancestry. This complex hybrid of Vitis vinifera, Vitis riparia, Vitis labrusca creates a cold hardy cultivar but one that is also very disease resistant and can produce quality wines.
“La Crescent is extremely versatile. We’ve been doing some fun experiments with how best to produce La Crescent. It’s been fabulously beautiful as more of an orange wine.”
Dan Faber, Head Winemaker at Rolling Hills Estate Winery
WHERE TO FIND THE LA CRESCENT GRAPE
This cold-hardy grape is found in the northern United States – New York, Vermont, Minnesota and Michigan – and into Quebec, Canada.
LA CRESCENT Food Pairings
With profile flavors of nectar and aromas of caramel and crème brûlée, La Crescent pairs wonderfully with gnocchi and squash topped with Parmesan cheese. There is a quiet elegance in the crisp, clean texture of this wine.
French-American Hybrids are the crossing of the European Vitis vinifera species with one or more Native American Vitis species. Early on, many of these grapes were grafted – aka spliced together – in France. The goal was to combine the superior traits of both vines to produce grapes with excellent wine quality that have a higher resistance to diseases and pests.
Research began on grafting Vitis vinifera species to American rootstock in the 1860’s to combat the phylloxera epidemic that nearly decimated wine regions around the world. Research continues today at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University in New York due to the rise in climate change. More on French American hybrids.
LA CRESCENT WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Looking for recommendations on La Crescent wines? Here are a few we suggest.
La Crescent
Rolling Hills Estate Winery
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Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer, wine judge, American Wine Specialist and certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET II). At Carpe Travel she shares wine travel destination guides for ALL WINE LOVERS – from novices to experienced pros – to help them plan their wine adventures, arming them with insider tips, must-visit spots, and things to see and do beyond the vines.