Report on Vidal Wine and Its Characteristics Paper Example

Introduction

Vidal refers to a hybrid grape which is planted in the North Eastern part of the United States and Canada. It is regarded as one of the ice wine grapes in Ontario where it is also planted to some extent ("Vidal Wine Information", 2015). Vidal is used in making table wines, and intense ice wines which are liked by most individuals globally. Vidal is a winter hardy kind that manages to yield high sugar levels in the cold climates. This type of grape was developed in the 1930s by Jean Louis Vidal. His main aim in developing this hybrid type of grape was to produce Cognac in Western France. However, because of the fruit's winter hardiness, it is mainly cultivated in Canada where the weather is cold. The Vidal blanc used to produce wine is grown in different regions including the United States, Canada, Sweden, and North America. Wine that is produced from this fruit also tends to be fruity with the aroma of pineapple and grapefruit, and it is also sweet (Reed & Nagodawithana, 1991).

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History of Vidal Wine

The grape used in making the wine was established in the 1930s with a grape breeder in France called Jean-Louis Vidal (Edick, 2017). It was introduced as the potential kind that can be used in the production of cognac in cold winters and maritime climate in Western France. When breeding the grape, Jean used Ugnic blanc and Rayon d'Or. Rayon d'Or is a sinter hardy mixture grape which is efficiently utilized in breeding Seyval Blanc (Edick, 2017). Even though this type of grape which is used in making Vidal wine was established in France, currently, there are only a few plantings which have remained in the department of Charente-Maritime. In the 1940s, the grape was introduced in Canada with Adhemar de Chaunac who was an enologist in French ("Vidal Wine, Vidal Wines - My Wine Canada", n.d.). During that time, he was working for T.G. Bright & Company which was a wine producer based in Ontario. De Chaunac was also accountable for bringing various mixed varieties in Canada as he thought that the hybrid grapes could be well cultivated in Canadian weather. One of the varieties of the grapes that were experimented during that period was Vidal Blanc. However, despite the product being introduced in the country, Vidal blanc only became popular in Canada in 1980s, and that is the time it was used in producing Vidal wine (Edick, 2017).

Terroir

It refers to the way a region's soil, terrain, and influences a wine's taste. The Vidal used in making the Vidal wine is a winter hardy type, and it can survive well when it is exposed to the cold temperatures for a long period in the season of dormant winter ("Vidal Wine, Vidal Wines - My Wine Canada", n.d.). It is also able to yield feasible secondary buds which will produce a crop even if there is a late spring frost. Vidal Blanc is a mid-ripening fruit grape that can accumulate enough sugar levels which can help in making dry wines. However, the fruit can continue hanging on the vine tree through the season to produce ice wine and late harvest. Even though vine has a sought of resistance for the downy mildew, it may be vulnerable to powdery mildew, coulure, and anthracnose. Furthermore, the long bunches of grapes of small berries might be susceptible to developing bunch rot which is caused by botrytis.

Wine Regions

Vidal Blanc originated from France, but then it is no longer authorized or planted widely in the region. However, this grape used in making Vidal wine has found success in areas such as Canada, Sweden, and North America (United States).

Canada

It was introduced in the 1940s ("Vidal Wine, Vidal Wines - My Wine Canada", n.d.). The fruit is grown in all the regions in Canada with about 1920 acres. Plantings of the fruit are mainly done in the Ontario region (Niagara Peninsula). However, the grape can be found in other areas such as Quebec, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. In Canada, Vidal is utilized in producing wines having all the sweetness styles and smells but is specifically noted to produce ice wines. Inniskiliin which is the largest world producer of ice wine makes the wine from Vidal grapes.

The United States

Even though Vidal is utilized in producing ice wine in the U.S, it is mostly used to produce sweet table and dry wines in the United States. The type of grape is widely planted all over the country and mainly in the East Coast, Great Lakes regions, and Midwest which includes regions like New York and Virginia, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio (Cattell, 2013). The fruit is also planted in other areas of the United States having a cold climate.

Styles

There are three different types of Vidal wine which includes dry, off-dry, and ice wine. The first one which is dry is usually medium in the body, and the acidity is also very high as compared to the other two (Jackson, 2008). The dry wine is low regarding tannis, and its sweetness is dry but fruity. The off-dry type of Vidal wine is medium in body with medium acidity. The wine is slightly sweet, and it has low Tannnis. The last type which is ice wine is full regarding the body, and its acidity is perceived to be low (Jackson, 2008). The wine is also very sweet, and it has low tannis.

Vidal blanc does not have a characteristic of foxy taste which is identifiable with most of the mixed varieties such as American grapevines (Cattell, 2013). The fruit Vidal blanc, do tend to yield wines with "pure and bright" fruit. The fruit also has acid levels which can balance from the sweetness of the ice wines although the wines do not have much aging potential. When a comparison is made about the ice wines that are produced from Riesling to the ones of Vidal Blanc, Vidal has a high concentration of fruit flavors. In Missouri, the dry Vidal Blanc style is usually full-bodied, and it had a butter mouthfeel which might be same as Chardonnays that has experienced fermentation (malolactic) (Cattell, 2013). Furthermore, the wine has the noticeable acidity that is comparable to Seyval Blanc which have been made from the favorable vintages. In British Columbia, ice and dry wines from Vidal Blanc are usually manifested with intense fruity flavors and tropical aromas (Reed & Nagodawithana, 1991).

Impact of Vidal blanc maturity of the quality and composition of Vidal Wines

A study which was conducted by Gallander (1983) regarding the impact of grape maturity on the quality of wine for two years and the fruit was yielded in 1980 and 1979 seasons. The study indicates that the early, and late stages of the fruit ranged from 15.8 to 21.8 (Gallander, 1983). Malates, tartrates, and total acidity of the wines reduced as the maturity of the fruit increased. However, color, tannin, and pH of the Vadal blanc increased with an increase in its maturity. Furthermore, results that were achieved from sensory ranking indicated that the taste and aroma of the wine's quality were highest during the immediate maturity. Wine that is produced from young Vidal blanc tends to have a fruity odor while wine that is produced from mature Vidal Blanc tend to develop a vegetative aroma which resembles straw or asparagus (Chisholm, Guiher, & Zaczkiewicz, 1995).

Conclusion

In summary, Vidal wine is mainly common in Canada. The wine is produced from Vidal Blanc, and it has the aroma of pineapple and grapefruit. The fruit performs mostly well in cold weather and that is the reason it is not currently prevalent in France where it was invented. The fruit was invented in the 1930s in France by Jean-Louis Vidal who was a grape breeder. The fruits that were used to breed the grape are Ugni Blanc and Rayon d'Or. The fruit does well when it is exposed to cold temperatures for a long period. Adhemar de Chaunac brought the fruit to Canada in the 1940s though it only became popular in 1980s. The wine is planted and produced in different regions including Canada, United States, North America, and France. Vidal blanc does not have a foxy taste which is identifiable with most hybrid varieties, and it produces pure and bright wines. The fruit produces dry, off-dry, and ice wines which have high acidity and low tannis. Furthermore, the ice and dry wines are usually marked with their strong fruity flavors and tropical aromas.

References

Cattell, H. (2013). Wines of Eastern North America: From Prohibition to the Present-A History and Desk Reference. Cornell University Press.

Chisholm, M. G., Guiher, L. A., & Zaczkiewicz, S. M. (1995). Aroma characteristics of aged Vidal blanc wine. American journal of enology and viticulture, 46(1), 56-62.

Edick, T. (2017). Hudson Valley wine: A history of taste and terroir. The History Press.

Gallander, J. F. (1983). Effect of grape maturity on the composition and quality of Ohio Vidal blanc wines. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 34(3), 139-141.

Jackson, R. S. (2008). Wine Science: Principles and applications. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press.

Reed, G., & Nagodawithana, T. W. (1991). Yeast technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Vidal Wine Information. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-529-vidal

Vidal Wine, Vidal Wines - My Wine Canada. Retrieved from https://mywinecanada.com/types-of-wine/vidal-wine