Getting to Know
Niagara, The Grape
© Paul Bulas
For a grape with such an unassumingly pale green colour as
Niagara, there is an awesome amount of aromatic power.
Niagara is a cross between the Concord
and Cassady varieties. I've also seen it referred to as "the
white Concord", though not particularly often. I suppose
that the reasons for this aren't hard to understand: Niagara is
one of the "foxiest" of the labrusca grapes, and it
does share aromas similar to those of Concord. However, if one
really focuses on the aromas and looks for nuances, it is
possible to find some distinctly different notes amid the
immediate foxy chaos.
As the grapes begin to ripen and the methyl anthranilate begins
to be noticeable, they initially give off sharp whiffs of mint,
acacia blossoms and/or acacia honey. When the grapes are fully
ripe, they exude much heavier and more intense aromas of freshly
laid asphalt, diesel oil, citrus skin, candies and honey. Get
them riper still -- as in a very warm vintage -- and an almost
palpable oiliness becomes evident on the nose.
Discussions on specific aromas such as this one are usually
limited to wines rather than actual grapes, but with labrusca
grapes, I'm convinced that the intensity of the aromas in the
fruit itself can quite successfully inspire its own analysis.
What happens when the grapes are turned into wine is the topic of
an upcoming report that I plan to share with readers in the near
future!
October 2001