Frost-Timing Specialist
Vidal
Vidal
Vidal
Braving the bitter cold is my specialty, waiting for just the right moment to turn freezing temperatures into liquid gold. While others wither in the snow, that is exactly when my magic happens.
Braving the bitter cold is my specialty, waiting for just the right moment to turn freezing temperatures into liquid gold. While others wither in the snow, that is exactly when my magic happens.
Braving the bitter cold is my specialty, waiting for just the right moment to turn freezing temperatures into liquid gold. While others wither in the snow, that is exactly when my magic happens.
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Hybrid Whites
Body
Big & Bold
Tannins
No Resistance
Acidity
Sour As Heck
Sugar
Hidden Dessert
Why you'll like me
Why you'll like me
I'm hardy
I'm sweet
I'm balanced
You will love me because I don't quit when the weather turns nasty. When delicate vines are shivering, I'm out there hanging on until I freeze solid to create luscious Icewine. My high natural acidity keeps things balanced, so even when I'm super sweet, I never feel cloying or sticky on your palate.
You will love me because I don't quit when the weather turns nasty. When delicate vines are shivering, I'm out there hanging on until I freeze solid to create luscious Icewine. My high natural acidity keeps things balanced, so even when I'm super sweet, I never feel cloying or sticky on your palate.
You will love me because I don't quit when the weather turns nasty. When delicate vines are shivering, I'm out there hanging on until I freeze solid to create luscious Icewine. My high natural acidity keeps things balanced, so even when I'm super sweet, I never feel cloying or sticky on your palate.
Why maybe not
I'm hybrid
I'm acidic
I'm simple
Some purists turn their noses up at me because my family tree isn't pure nobility. Since I'm a hybrid, I struggle to get respect in high society circles unless I'm frozen. If I'm made into a dry table wine, I can sometimes be a bit simple or overly acidic without that sweetness to hide behind.
Some purists turn their noses up at me because my family tree isn't pure nobility. Since I'm a hybrid, I struggle to get respect in high society circles unless I'm frozen. If I'm made into a dry table wine, I can sometimes be a bit simple or overly acidic without that sweetness to hide behind.
When drinking, notice this
Tropical fruit
High acid
Rich texture
Expect a burst of tropical sunshine even though I was harvested in a blizzard. You will usually find intense notes of dried apricot and mango wrapped in a thick, rich texture. Despite all that sugar, my zesty backbone cuts right through, leaving a finish that feels clean rather than heavy.
Expect a burst of tropical sunshine even though I was harvested in a blizzard. You will usually find intense notes of dried apricot and mango wrapped in a thick, rich texture. Despite all that sugar, my zesty backbone cuts right through, leaving a finish that feels clean rather than heavy.
Expect a burst of tropical sunshine even though I was harvested in a blizzard. You will usually find intense notes of dried apricot and mango wrapped in a thick, rich texture. Despite all that sugar, my zesty backbone cuts right through, leaving a finish that feels clean rather than heavy.
They also call me
No regional nicks
MY LIFE STORIES
Designed for Toughness
Designed for Toughness
Designed for Toughness
I was born in the 1930s thanks to a Frenchman named Jean Louis Vidal. He wanted to create a tough variety for Cognac production, so he introduced Ugni Blanc to Rayon d'Or to see what would happen. I arrived with a thick skin and a hardy constitution, designed to handle rough conditions that would kill lesser vines. Ironically, the French eventually decided they didn't want hybrids hanging around, so I had to pack my bags and look for a new home where my toughness would be appreciated.
I was born in the 1930s thanks to a Frenchman named Jean Louis Vidal. He wanted to create a tough variety for Cognac production, so he introduced Ugni Blanc to Rayon d'Or to see what would happen. I arrived with a thick skin and a hardy constitution, designed to handle rough conditions that would kill lesser vines. Ironically, the French eventually decided they didn't want hybrids hanging around, so I had to pack my bags and look for a new home where my toughness would be appreciated.
North American Immigrant
North American Immigrant
North American Immigrant
North America welcomed me with open arms, specifically the chilly regions of Canada and the northeastern United States. While I was originally meant for brandy, growers quickly realized that my thick skin made me practically invincible against rot and splitting during the late season. I found my true calling in Ontario. The winters there are brutal, but that is exactly what I needed. I realized that if I hung onto the trellis until January, I could transform into something truly magical instead of just freezing to death.
North America welcomed me with open arms, specifically the chilly regions of Canada and the northeastern United States. While I was originally meant for brandy, growers quickly realized that my thick skin made me practically invincible against rot and splitting during the late season. I found my true calling in Ontario. The winters there are brutal, but that is exactly what I needed. I realized that if I hung onto the trellis until January, I could transform into something truly magical instead of just freezing to death.
Frozen Fame
Frozen Fame
Frozen Fame
Becoming an Icewine legend isn't easy work. I have to stay on my vines long after the other grapes have been pressed and bottled, braving wind, snow, and hungry birds. I wait for the temperature to drop to specific freezing points, concentrating my sugars and acids into a drop of nectar. When I'm finally harvested in the dark of night, frozen solid like a marble, I yield a golden elixir that has made me famous worldwide. It takes a thick skin to be this sweet.
Becoming an Icewine legend isn't easy work. I have to stay on my vines long after the other grapes have been pressed and bottled, braving wind, snow, and hungry birds. I wait for the temperature to drop to specific freezing points, concentrating my sugars and acids into a drop of nectar. When I'm finally harvested in the dark of night, frozen solid like a marble, I yield a golden elixir that has made me famous worldwide. It takes a thick skin to be this sweet.
REGIONS I LEAD
Niagara Peninsula, ON
Think of this place as nature's refrigerator where magic happens. It isn't just about shivering tourists looking at a waterfall - it is a serious hub for cool-climate masterpieces that balance razor-sharp acidity with intense fruit flavors.
Think of this place as nature's refrigerator where magic happens. It isn't just about shivering tourists looking at a waterfall - it is a serious hub for cool-climate masterpieces that balance razor-sharp acidity with intense fruit flavors.
Québec
Forget maple syrup for a second. This province takes sub-zero temperatures and turns them into a superpower, crafting intense elixirs that actually benefit from weather that would make a polar bear shiver.
Forget maple syrup for a second. This province takes sub-zero temperatures and turns them into a superpower, crafting intense elixirs that actually benefit from weather that would make a polar bear shiver.
REGIONS I HELP
Finger Lakes
Forget everything you know about American wine being just warm California sunshine. This spot is defined by deep, skinny lakes that act like giant heaters, allowing world-class whites to thrive where snow usually dominates.
Forget everything you know about American wine being just warm California sunshine. This spot is defined by deep, skinny lakes that act like giant heaters, allowing world-class whites to thrive where snow usually dominates.
Okanagan Valley, BC
Imagine a place where bears eat peaches and rattlesnakes sunbathe next to Pinot Noir. This stunning stretch of British Columbia is a climatic paradox that proves Canada isn't just one giant igloo, delivering serious sun-drenched wines.
Imagine a place where bears eat peaches and rattlesnakes sunbathe next to Pinot Noir. This stunning stretch of British Columbia is a climatic paradox that proves Canada isn't just one giant igloo, delivering serious sun-drenched wines.
SUB-REGIONS I HELP
Seneca Lake
(
Finger Lakes
)
Holding the title for the deepest of the Finger Lakes, this body of water acts like a giant radiator for the vines. You get everything from bone-dry crispness to luscious ice wines here.
Holding the title for the deepest of the Finger Lakes, this body of water acts like a giant radiator for the vines. You get everything from bone-dry crispness to luscious ice wines here.
Cayuga Lake
(
Finger Lakes
)
Often playing second fiddle to its deeper neighbor, this massive stretch of water actually boasts the longest shoreline in the region. It is a playground for diverse styles, ranging from serious Riesling to slushies.
Often playing second fiddle to its deeper neighbor, this massive stretch of water actually boasts the longest shoreline in the region. It is a playground for diverse styles, ranging from serious Riesling to slushies.
WINE STYLES I LEAD
Canadian Vidal Icewine
Vidal Blanc is the workhorse of the north that thrives where delicate vinifera shivers. This liquid gold offers an intense tropical fruit salad in a glass, balancing massive sugar with **bracing** acidity that keeps it refreshing.
Vidal Blanc is the workhorse of the north that thrives where delicate vinifera shivers. This liquid gold offers an intense tropical fruit salad in a glass, balancing massive sugar with **bracing** acidity that keeps it refreshing.
Canadian Icewine
Imagine sipping liquid gold harvested in the dead of winter. Grapes freeze solid on the vine, concentrating sugars into a luscious, sticky syrup that explodes with tropical fruit flavors. It is dessert in a glass.
Imagine sipping liquid gold harvested in the dead of winter. Grapes freeze solid on the vine, concentrating sugars into a luscious, sticky syrup that explodes with tropical fruit flavors. It is dessert in a glass.
Canadian Vidal Icewine
Vidal Blanc is the workhorse of the north that thrives where delicate vinifera shivers. This liquid gold offers an intense tropical fruit salad in a glass, balancing massive sugar with **bracing** acidity that keeps it refreshing.
Canadian Icewine
Imagine sipping liquid gold harvested in the dead of winter. Grapes freeze solid on the vine, concentrating sugars into a luscious, sticky syrup that explodes with tropical fruit flavors. It is dessert in a glass.
Niagara Icewine
Imagine grapes left to freeze on the vine until they turn into marbles of concentrated sugar. This Canadian specialty delivers an explosion of tropical fruit and honey that balances perfectly with zippy acidity, preventing it from being cloying.
Michigan Ice Wine
Imagine biting into a peach while standing in a blizzard. This style turns brutal winters into liquid candy by harvesting grapes frozen solid on the vine, squeezing out concentrated sugar and leaving the water behind.
WINE STYLES I HELP
Canadian Sparkling Wine
Canada isn't just about snow and syrup, it is actually a cold-climate paradise for bubbles. Winemakers here use the traditional method to craft piercingly fresh sparklers that rival big names from Europe.
Canada isn't just about snow and syrup, it is actually a cold-climate paradise for bubbles. Winemakers here use the traditional method to craft piercingly fresh sparklers that rival big names from Europe.
Canada isn't just about snow and syrup, it is actually a cold-climate paradise for bubbles. Winemakers here use the traditional method to craft piercingly fresh sparklers that rival big names from Europe.
New York Orange Wine
White grapes treated like reds create this textured, amber-hued beauty that's taking over wine bars from Brooklyn to the Finger Lakes. It is savory, grippy, and definitely not your grandmother's Riesling or Chardonnay.
White grapes treated like reds create this textured, amber-hued beauty that's taking over wine bars from Brooklyn to the Finger Lakes. It is savory, grippy, and definitely not your grandmother's Riesling or Chardonnay.
White grapes treated like reds create this textured, amber-hued beauty that's taking over wine bars from Brooklyn to the Finger Lakes. It is savory, grippy, and definitely not your grandmother's Riesling or Chardonnay.
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