Calling all Geezers: What WERE Virginia Dare Wines (NY State?)?

[Botafogo]

A customer just presented us with a Tenth Anniversary gift of a framed magazine ad from the late fifties or early sixties with Peter Lore as a pitchman for Virginia Dare Wine (a division of Garret & Co), saying "Fancy Wine Experts slay me" while snooty uniformed sommeliers with tastevins and goatees taste some nice looking Burgundies behind him. He goes on to say, "There is no boring, pompous talk about GOOD YEARS or BOUQUETS in my home. I just open a bottle of Virginia Dare Wine--red or white-- and pour a friendly glass...it sure tases good."

The customer added a caption that reads "A shame he didn't know about the folks at WINE EXPO, Happy 10th!" Gotta love folks like that...

Anyone know about this juice?

Roberto

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 08-16-2003).]

[Thomas]

Virginia Dare has its roots in the South. The Garret Company was based on Keuka Lake, in the Finger Lakes. I believe someone at Garret had experience with the sweet wine from the South and made a deal to market his own version.

Virginia Dare was a blend of labrusca grape varieties: the red likely was concord-base and the white likely was niagara-based.

I could find out more if you want me too.

[Georgie]

Here's some information that you might be interested in.

In 1587, an expedition organized by Sir Walter Raleigh established an English colony on the island of Roanoke, off the coast of present-day North Carolina. On August 18 of that year, the first English child was born on American soil. Named Virginia, her mother was Eleanor Dare, the daughter of John White, governor of the colony.

Before long, Governor White was forced to leave for England to secure much-needed supplies. When he arrived, he found the country to be at war, threatened by the Spanish Armada. In need of his expertise, Queen Elizabeth extended his stay and it was not until 1590, three years later, that he was again able to set sail for Roanoke with supplies for the little colony.

Upon his return, he found that the settlement had vanished... and it came to be known in history as Sir Walter Raleigh's "Lost Colony."

Later, Native American legend told of a beautiful young woman, Virginia Dare, who was mistaken for a white doe, and shot through the heart with a silver arrow from a hunter's bow.

The name Virginia Dare came to symbolize wholesomeness and purity, and when Garrett & Company was founded in the region in 1835, the name was adopted as a brand for its wine produced from the native Scuppernong grape.

and from another source:

The Scuppernong's unique flavor was marketed nationwide in the 20th Century by Paul Garrett & Company under the label "Virginia Dare." During the 13 years of Prohibition (1920-33), Garrett kept his wineries busy making Scuppernong cider, and when Prohibition ended his were the only wineries ready for immediate production. "Say it again....Virginia Dare" was the first singing radio commercial for an alcoholic beverage in history.



[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 08-16-2003).]

[tandkvd]

She was the first English child born in America, in the Lost Colony @ Roanoake.

Of course my History teaching wife had to tell me.

Darn Georgie, you beat me to the answer.


[This message has been edited by tandkvd (edited 08-16-2003).]

[tandkvd]

Of course the official southern prunciation of Scuppernong is " scuppy-dimes".

[Georgie]

Well, I knew that you NC people would know...I learned all about her from my brother who moved to Roanoke Island. The whole Lost Colony thing is fascinating.

[tandkvd]

Yeah, it makes me wish I had paid more attention in history class.
My wife is a History Major, and you don't dare play Trivial Persuit with her.

[winoweenie]

Remember getting tanked on VD in the 8th grade at O.M.A. and wading into lake Claremore fully clothed. Pulled out by my upper-class roomie before I drowned. Had the grand-pappy of all hang-overs and vowed to never let that crappy juice ever cross my lips agin'. So I Lied....Sue Me! WW [img]http://forum.wines.com/ubb2/eek.gif[/img]

[Thomas]

All true, as legends go, plus the Garrett Winery was also located on Keuka Lake (the building still stands and is ready to become condominia). On Keuka there are no scuppernongs, which are from a grape species separate from the NY kind, so Garrett used other grapes for this version.

Perhaps Garret expanded his interests thanks to Virginia Dare.

Georgie, that information about Garrett being the only winery ready for production after Prohibition is wrong. Across the country a few wineries stayed alive by producing sacramental wine and grape juice. When Prohibition ended, all of them were ready to resume operations. In California Christian Brothers was among them; in NY Taylor/Great Western, and about three more were among them; in Ohio there was one or two; in the South there were a few.

[Georgie]

Well, you know how it is with the internet. Not all information is reliable.

[musegirl]

Actually, the Virginia Dare Winery was owned by Garrett's but was located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. It's just down the street from my house and I am currently writing a historical preservation thesis on it. It used to be such a gorgeous building, like a California mission. It eventually bought out the local IVC winery and claimed to be the largest vineyard in the world at 5,000 acres.

[TheEngineer]

Thanks!....from one of the geezers