Norton and chocolate are the perfect pair

Norton, Missouri’s state grape, offers deep, dark, jammy flavors — a perfect foil for the rich, intense flavors in my Askinosie chocolate tart. I pair the tart with Norton from Defiance Ridge Vineyards, an estate winery producing a range of wines. The winery’s 42-acre property boasts a vineyard, tranquil lake and lush garden landscape. Breathtaking views of the sweeping Missouri River Valley are captured year-round from the terraces and veranda surrounding its historic farmhouse.

Norton (pronounced nore-tuhn) is an American grape, Vitis aestivalis, which was found in 1835 near Richmond, Virginia. Sometimes called Cynthiana, it is the premium red wine grape in Missouri.

Norton makes a dry red wine that is full in body with some fruity overtones. The clusters are small to medium-sized with small blue-black berries. Norton is very hardy and extremely vigorous and often must be trained to a divided canopy training system. It is one of the most disease resistant grape varieties, with some resistance even to black rot. Norton is processed as a red wine and is fermented on the skins. The pigment from the skins is what gives this red wine its dark color.

  • Norton accounts for 17.7% of all grapes grown in Missouri

  • Bold, complex flavors

  • Full-bodied, dry red

  • Frequently aged in oak

  • Rich combination of spice, vanilla and chocolate notes

  • Layered fruit flavors of berries, ripe cherries and currants

Catherine Neville