Muscadine Grape

Grapes are eaten fresh, jellied, squeezed, brined, pickled, fermented and dried. They have been culturally significant in many parts of the world, particularly for their role in winemaking, for thousands of years. There are more than 50 verses about grapes throughout the Jewish and Christian Bible that reference the fruit as a food as well as a religious symbol.  Many Christian groups use wine during ritual worship, known as the Eucharist, to symbolize the blood of Jesus Christ and to represent the remission of sins as described in the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:20 (NIV) ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’ This practice dates to the early Christian church, and modern Christians who oppose the consumption of alcohol sometimes use grape juice as the “cup” or “wine” as a substitute. The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church (1983), Canon 924 says that the wine used must be natural, made from grapes of the vine, and not corrupt. In the Jewish texts, grape vines are one of the seven staple foods mentioned in Deuteronomy 8.8  ‘A land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.” Grape was also one of the seven fruits that Moses messengers discovered in the land of Israel. (Numbers 13: 20-23). Grapes themselves have no special kosher considerations, but wine, grape juice, and other grape products are some of the most highly kosher-sensitive. All grape juice and wines must be prepared under strict Orthodox rabbinic supervision and may not be handled by non-Jews. Today, there are more than 25 certified wineries in Florida, and the oldest is located in St. Augustine. Florida viticulture is rooted in more than a century of research on muscadines and hybrids. For now, the muscadine is most often seen as a fresh fruit at farmers’ markets and road-side stands, and processed into wine, jams, and jellies.