A visit to an Alabama winery

I can hear you now...."An Alabama winery?!" Yes, Alabama has wineries, and the Morgan Creek Winery has a unique vision.

On a drive back home from Florida we decided to take some back roads. Just south of Birmingham we came across the Morgan Creek Winery. We decided to make a quick stop. Our curiosity led us to a delightful family run winery with state of the art equipment, and a mission and vision for thier winery.

The owners are Charles and Mary Brammer, who (as their son told us) invested their children's inheritance to start this winery. This humorous approach is a hallmark to any visit to Morgan Creek. The Brammers are welcoming, helpful, and quickly open the doors to their winery for tours.

The Brammers knew from the beginning that the soil conditions of Alabama would not let them cultivate Chardonnay, Pinot, and other famous grapes. They turned instead to the classic American grape, the Muscadine. They have dedicated themselves to creating quality wines from Muscadine. They also create wines from blueberries and apples.

Their Muscadine wines are not nearly as sweet as many others I've tried. Two of the highlights during our tasting:

• Regal Red ($11.99), is a dry wine with a ruby red color. It has vibrant fruit aromas with floral notes. You will find high acidity, lots of fruit, hints of strawberry and cherry with muscadine on finish.
• Country White ($8.99) An off dry wine spicy note, lots of fresh fruit. You will smell the muscadine.

Don't expect to find Morgan Creek wines in stores outside Alabama. The Brammers are committed to building quality, not quantity. If you are in the Birmingham area this winery is worth a visit.