Nine Lakes Wine Country Honors
Categories: Awards
Isn’t this beautiful? This is a cluster of Chambourcin grapes, grown at Cellar 53 Winery and Vineyard in Brush Creek, TN.
Chambourcin grapes growing at Cellar 53 Winery in Brush Creek, TN.
A wine from these grapes won a gold medal at Indy International Wine Competition recently. Chambourcin 2014, Reserve Barrel No. 1, is a dry red wine crafted by the boutique winery Cellar 53 Winery in Brush Creek, Tennessee. It opened in 2015 on a family farm owned by Scott and Rebecca Paschal.
“All of the Chambourcin grapes used in this wine were grown on our farm,” said Rebecca Paschal, winemaker at Cellar 53. “This was the first harvest that we kept ourselves, to make into wine.”
Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid grape that is starting to make a mark in East Tennessee. Chambourcin is popular in France’s Loire Valley, with over 9,000 acres planted. Like Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin can produce big, rich red wines, and light, fruity rosé wines.
Chambourcin is extremely vigorous and disease-resistant, which makes it a good choice for vineyards in the humid mid-Atlantic region of North America.
“Look for more Chambourcin to be planted here in East Tennessee,” said James Riddle, President of the Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association.
“Many of the grapes grown in Tennessee are used to make off-dry and sweeter wines, but varieties like Chambourcin, Chancellor, Seyval and Traminette, used for dry wines, are gaining in popularity. Customers who prefer dryer wines are choosing these over traditional California wines when given the opportunity. With such versatility Chambourcin should have a prominent place in the future of the Nine Lakes wine industry,” said Riddle.
