4th of July celebrations: 10 wines intertwined with America's story (2024)

How to taste wine like a Duplin pro

See. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Savor. Use this 5-step system for each wine on the tasting sheetincluded in your kit. Here's how.

See:First, hold a glass of wine up to a light and look at the color. It will allude to the variety of grapes used and what the wine will taste like. Is it Scuppernong? Nobel? Carlos? Another? Color also indicates flavor. A bright, saturated hue often means a more intense flavor. See if you can guess the grape and flavor before you sip.

Swirl:Consider the wine's body next. Swirl the wine in your glass to determine if it is light or heavy. You're looking for the viscous streaks running down the side of the glass after you swirl. They're called "legs." Sweeter wines will leave streaks to cling or move slowly. That means a heavier body.

Sniff:After you swirl, really dip your nose into the glass and inhale the aroma, which wine pros call the "bouquet" or "nose." Pausing to experience the bouquet heightens your senses and anticipation of the first sip. Think about what you are smelling. Is it fruity? What kind of fruit? Berries? Ripe banana? Musky honeydew melon? Pure grape? Are you getting floral notes like honeysuckle or gardenia? See if you pick up unexpected smells like pine or fall leaves. Describe the bouquet and discuss it.

Sip:Take a sip slightly larger than normal and hold the wine in your mouth for 3-5 seconds. Let the wine coat the tongue and the inside of your mouth. Wine releases more flavors as it warms on your taste buds. Before swallowing, purse your lips and breathe in gently, allowing the air to travel across the wine in your mouth to get the full flavor profile.

Do the flavors you're experiencing match the wine's nose? When and where are you tasting those flavors? Are you getting, say, banana bread on the first sip and then astringency or acidity at the end, which is called "the finish." Where do flavors hit you? On the tongue? On the side of your mouth.

Think back to the wine's body. Compare the texture of different wines, how they feel in your mouth. Light as water or heavier, like the texture of sweet iced tea? If you're sampling a sparkling wine, do the bubbles feel fine or medium in size. Compare your experience to the wine's description and see if it matches.

Savor:As you continue sipping, note how the sensation is slightly different from what you experienced when the wine was resting in your mouth on the first sip. This is the point when you taste and feel the wine's finish. As you continue tasting, note how the wine pairs with the Duplin Gourmet crackers and Muscadine Pineapple Habenero dip. See which wine you like best with those snacks and others you may be enjoying during your at-home or virtual tasting. Cheers!

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Three years in the making, Muscadine Moscato sent our winemakers on a search for the finest Moscato wine to meld with Duplin's famous muscadine. "We're the first to do this, and no one can do it like we can," Dave says. "Muscadine Moscato is the best wine we've ever made, hands down.”

Smooth and sweet, with the Muscat grape’s natural hints of nectarine and white peach, Muscadine Moscato is beautifully sophisticated yet at home in any setting. Lightly chilled or ice-cold, this wine pairs with everything from filet to fried chicken. Like Dave says, “It’s hard to drink just one glass.”

Brices' Creek is named after a tiny community near New Bern, N.C., where pine forests are calming and peaceful.

Take time to notice the slight floral start. Do you sense jasmine? Yellow jessamine? Pay attention to the smooth finish and light alcohol bite. This wine’s complexity is thanks to a combination of Scuppernong and Niagara grapes. Niagara is not a muscadine grape but a native American vitis labrusca variety developed in Niagara County, N.Y.

Duplin Winery is immensely proud to introduce two new wines, First Responders White and Armed Forces Red, dedicated to the bravest among us. For every bottle sold, Duplin will donate $1 to Folds of Honor, a charity that directs an impressive 91% of contributions towards providing scholarships to families in need.

First Responders White is another truly distinctive muscadine wine honoring the incredible firefighters, police officers and medical professionals who carry out spilt-second, life-saving decisions with boundless courage and compassion. This generously sweet yet graceful blend embodies their unceasing selflessness.

Burgundy has a 1.5% sugar level, similar to the sugar content in merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Duplin Burgundy is much lighter and fruitier than those wines.

Duplin winemakers use a blend of early-harvest muscadine grapes. Grapes picked before they become too ripe are less sweet. Sip slowly. This wine packs 13% alcohol, making it a great partner to a big steak or caramelized onion and mushroom burger.

Pelican Red blends mid-harvest muscadines with Pink Catawba grapes, the latter being a hybrid of Vitis Labrusca and the European Semillon grape. Semillon, originally from France, is a golden, thin-skinned grape used in both sweet and dry wines. While the origins of this grape crossing remain unclear, early vines were reportedly cultivated on a "Rose Hill property" in Maryland.

With 7% sugar, Pelican Red offers a mid-sweet profile with a smooth, floral finish.

Last summer kicked off with Sunshine State of Wine, a sweet, refreshing red to celebrate our newest location, Duplin Winery-Panama City Beach! Soon after, we discovered Sunshine’s fruity notes were extra tasty with top-selling Berry Bliss Sweetzer wine slushie mix.

Chillax with this so sippable wine — yummy with light dishes like seared salmon and an indulgent Valentine’s treat blended with Berry Bliss in a chocolate-rimmed glass — get ready for the days of more sunshine.

Duplin Winery is immensely proud to introduce two new wines, Armed Forces Red and First Responders White, dedicated to the bravest among us. For every bottle sold, Duplin will donate $1 to Folds of Honor, a charity that directs an impressive 91% of contributions towards providing scholarships to families in need.

Made with America's own muscadine grapes, grown on cherished family farms, Armed Forces Red wine salutes veterans, active-duty personnel and fallen U.S. service members. This bold, sweet wine full of heart is an expression of their unwavering valor and steadfast dedication.