Vineyard

Dakotah Winery



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	14365 NW Hwy 19 Chiefland, FL 32626 (352) 493-9309

Chiefland, Florida

At the heart of the Dakotah Winery is the vineyard. The grapes grown in Dakotah's vineyard are muscadine (or scuppernongs as they are sometimes called). The muscadine is a native Florida grape that was first used for wine-making by the French Huguenots and early Spanish settlers nearly 100 years before wine was made in California. In the entire world the muscadine is found only in southeastern United States. In the 12-acre vineyard at Dakotah there are over 30 varieties of muscadine grapes.


		In early August the grapes begin to ripen, some turning bronze and others a dark purple. They ripen individually instead of in bunches over the course of a few weeks.

			. . . and their taste is exquisite Enjoy them alone as a healthy snack Combine them with other fruits in salads Freeze them individually as "grape popsicles" Make jelly from the juice Preserve the juice for future use

	Much bigger than other types of grapes, muscadines may reach the size of golfballs.
At Dakotah the grapes are tended in part by Baby Doll sheep and Canada geese who wander freely through the vineyard pruning the vines and mowing the grass. Their efforts dramatically decrease those labor intensive responsibilities for their owners. For more Dakotah photos, click here.

How About a Grape Pie?

Some say it's to die for. The "trick" for using grapes in a pie is to remove the seeds while saving the pulp and the skins.

4 c. Dakotah muscadine scuppernong grapes
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter

1. Prepare your favorite pastry crust and line an 9" pie tin with bottom crust.
2. Rinse and drain the grapes; pinch each grape to remove the skin. Set skins aside. Place pulp in a medium saucepan, the skins in a bowl and the grapes in a saucepan. If the grapes are quite large, chop the skins.
3. Place pulp in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until seeds are loosened.
4. To remove the seeds, force the pulp through a fine sieve or food mill. Discard the seeds.
5. Combine pulp, lemon juice, skins, sugar, cornstarch.*
6. Pour into the pastry shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust.
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 20-25 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned.
8.Cool on wire rack. Cut and enjoy!

*At this point the mixture could be frozen for future use. Freeze in 'pie-size' containers. Thaw and pop into a pastry shell and bake as described