Vidal Blanc: Lake Erie's Favorite Wine Grape

The wine grape most widely-used to craft Icewine in North America, Vidal Blanc, is far from being a household name like Chardonnay or Merlot. Vidal Blanc is a hybrid grape, created by marrying the French grapes: Ugni Blanc (known as Trebbiano in Italy) and Seibel (also known as Rayon d'Or). This offspring thrives in the lakeside wine-growing regions of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, areas known worldwide for their sweet and complex Icewines. The cold, snowy Great Lakes climate is an ideal home for this thick-skinned grape and necessary for producing Icewine naturally, where the grapes must be allowed to freeze on the vine.

History of Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc was created in France in the 1930s in France. The grape is named for its inventor, Jean-Louis Vidal, who was looking for a grape to improve the Cognac production in his native, middle-France region of Charente. His grape proved too cold-hardy for the mild French climate and by chance found a home in the sometimes challenging Great Lakes landscape.

Drinking and Serving Vidal Blanc Wine
Vidal Blanc grapes are used to create crisp, fruity, off-dry wines that are more appropriate for sipping than drinking with dinner. These wines are best served chilled and offer slight apricot, honey and tangerine flavors. Inniskillen in the Niagara River wine region, a major producer of Vidal Blanc Icewine, suggests pairing the wine with a pear tart, raspberry mousse, or summer berries with cream.

Where to Buy Vidal Blanc Wines
Vidal Blanc white wines are sold in 750 ml bottle and Vidal Blanc Icewine is generally available in slender, 375 ml bottles. Both are available in eastern Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces as well as wine stores with a diverse selection of wines. Good--and affordable--choices include the award-winning Fiori delle Stelle from New York State's Casa Larga Winery (around $45), the Vidal Blanc Icewine from Ohio's Debonne Winery (around $30), or Jackson Triggs Vidal Blanc Icewine from Niagara, Ontario (around $20 for a 187ml bottle). Not quite as affordable, but also tasty is Inniskillen's Vidal Blanc Icewine. A 375 ml bottle will cost around $50 depending on your state taxes.

Other Wine Articles by Sandy Mitchell
Ohio's Ice Wines
Pairing Italian Wine with Food
Robola: the Elegant White Wine of Greece

Sources:
http://wineintro.com/types/vidal.html
http://www.inniskillin.com/en/ice/iceFood.asp
http://www.wine.com/v6/search/?term=inniskillen
http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/487536/vidal-ice-wine-is-new-york-s-best
http://www.winegeeks.com/grapes/27
http://www.gothamwines.com/sku520192.html?utm_source=Google%20Products&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Jackson%20Triggs%20Vidal%20Blanc%20Ice%20Wine%20187ml
http://debonne.com/our_wines.shtml
http://www.casalarga.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=d5ac400d-fe88-bafc-f2bd-932699e5a129
(also personal experience as a fine-dining server and wine distributor salesperson)