Niagara
The white counterpart to Concord: a 19th-century New York grape with an intensely grapey, floral aroma, made into sweet white wines across the East and Midwest.
Niagara is the white grape that tastes like white grape juice. It was bred in 1868 in Lockport, New York, near Niagara Falls, by crossing Concord with another native grape, Cassady. It became the leading white grape of the eastern U.S. and is still one of the most popular sweet wines in tasting rooms from New York to Missouri.
What It Tastes Like
Niagara is intensely aromatic, with white grape juice, honeysuckle, ripe pear and candied citrus, plus the musky, foxy note typical of native American grapes. Most Niagara wine is semi-sweet or sweet, served well chilled. A few producers make drier, crisper versions, but sweetness is what most visitors come for.
Where It Grows
Niagara is grown along the Lake Erie shore in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, in the Finger Lakes and the Niagara Escarpment, and in Michigan, especially the southwest. It also shows up in Missouri, Indiana and many other eastern states. It's also the leading white grape of southern Brazil.
What to Look For
- Sweet Niagara is a bestseller in many eastern tasting rooms.
- Sparkling Niagara is bright and fun.
- Niagara ice wine is an occasional find.
- Sangria and wine slushies made with Niagara are a summer favorite.
Where to Find Niagara
Wine regions on American Winery Guide where Niagara is grown or poured: