A Rare Hybrid

Driving from North Texas to Southeast Oklahoma, there is little change in the terrain. Eventually, Choctaw casinos and low, rocky, Oak-strewn hills grow out of the grasslands. There, on the verge of this gentle transition in topography – in the middle of Choctaw territory – rests the oldest, quiet little winery in Oklahoma.

Cimarron Cellars, now twenty-six years old (ancient by Oklahoma standards), grows very few of its own grapes. The vineyards that inspired the first Oklahoma winery were sold off long ago. But the winery still exists and makes some of the best wine in Oklahoma, much of its wine from local grapes. They have a wide variety of wines, many of them with charming local names like "Sooner Red" and "Cowboy Cabernet." They also have wines made of rare varieties, and the name on the bottles austerely states the grape variety. The wine that I will expound upon is one of the latter – the Vignoles.

You are probably asking, as I did, what the hell is a Vignole? Well, Le Vignole is an obscure island in the Adriatic Sea – completely unrelated to the grape variety, Vignoles, as far as my research finds. Vignoles, the grape, is a rare and complex hybrid also known by the name Ravat, which it inherited from its creator, J.F. Ravat. It is found in very few areas, most notably the Finger Lakes region of New York and in Missouri, along the Missouri River.

Usually, grapes are rare because they are unpleasant to eat or they make terrible wine. However, after imbibing some Vignoles wine, I was pleasantly surprised. Like most white wine, it is best served chilled. Immediately after it is poured into the glass, it has little smell. However, as it warms, it emits a light scent of flowers and sour apples. A sip really draws out the sour apples, and also gives a hint of pineapple. A mouthful brings out its true sweetness with a light sourness on the tongue. The aftertaste is warm and sweet, but with a hint of butter.

The wine is incomparable to another semi-sweet wine. Its effect on the palate is pleasant, but different. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself exploring the wine regions of Oklahoma or Missouri, I certainly recommend trying a Vignoles wine.