Winemaker's Notes:
The Versatile Vidal Blanc:
Hermannhof, like many other wineries east of the Rockies, grows a considerable amount of Vidal Blanc grapes.
Vidal Blanc is a French American hybrid grape created by Jean Louis Vidal in the 1940’s.
He developed this varietal by crossing the European grape Ugni Blanc, also known to the Italians as Trebbiano, with an already established hybrid Rayon d’Or (Siebel). His work was done in the Charentes region of France, known for its chalky soils.
The grape showed promising potential to produce a high quality wine.
Vidal Blanc is well adapted to the continental climate challenges most mid-western and eastern vineyards experience. The grape has a thick skin which helps for disease resistance and is less prone to bird damage. It also buds out later in the spring making it less vulnerable to late frosts.
Vidal ripens the latest of our white varietals, allowing the natural acids to remain. This acidity makes Vidal versatile in the style of wines it can produce.
We use Vidal in our Brut Reserve and it holds up well (we’ve just disgorged Vidal champagne that’s over twenty years old!)
We also make Vidal in a dry fruity style often compared to Pinot Grigio, and the semi-sweet Vidal we produce is a component of our White Lady blend.
Vidal is often used to make excellent late-harvest wines and even ice wines.
So here’s a toast to Jean Louis Vidal for a job well done!
| Cheers, Paul LeRoy General Manager and Winemaker |
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