Scuppernong Whine Traditional Cache
BEENTHERE309: Letting this one go
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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There's something about these Resevoir Park caches, isn't there?? One is never enough. You are looking for a camouflaged thermos container. Should not be too hard to find. Please hide it as well or better than you found it.
A scuppernong is a large type of muscadine, a type of grape native to the southeastern United States. It usually has a greenish or bronze color, and is similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and about 50% larger.
The name comes from the Scuppernong River in North Carolina, where it was found and first cultivated during the 17th century. The name itself traces back to the Algonquian word ascopo meaning "sweet bay tree".
The first record of these grapes occurs in the log book of Giovanni de Verrazano, who in 1524 discovered them in the Cape Fear River Valley. He wrote that he saw "Many vines growing naturally there that without doubt would yield excellent wines."
In 1584, a member of Sir Walter Raleigh's exploration wrote that "The coast of North Carolina was so full of grapes that the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them. In all the world, a similar abundance was not to be found."
Scuppernongs figure prominently in the story "The Goophered Grapevine" (1887) by Charles W. Chesnutt, and are also mentioned in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The scuppernong also figures prominently in William Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom! as the plant under which Colonel Thomas Sutpen and Washington Jones sit down to drink.
The winter will be short, the summer long,
The autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot,
Tasting of cider and of scuppernong;
Elinor Wylie, from Wild Peaches, Nets to Catch the Wind (1921)
In addition, according to herbal lore, eating this whole grape also has health benefits. The hull adds a significant amount of fiber to the diet; while the seeds when chewed provide a grape-seed extract that can aid in improving memory and other functions. While no scientific validation of this fact is availalble, it still makes for another good excuse to enjoy this truly Southern delicacy.
Wines, jellies and jams can also be made from scuppernongs. It is thought they were the first native grape to be cultivated for these purposes.
FYI:
This cache would count for Page 60 on the North Carolina Delorme Challenge (GCTYE6), and for Moore County on the North Carolina County Challenge (GC19YRC)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre n ovt-nffrq ybt.
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