No products in the cart.
- SommWine's Ultimate Guide to WSET Level 1 is only $25
SOMMWINE GRAPE LIBRARY
Vidal Blanc
Also known as Vidal, Vidal 256
Vidal blanc is a French-bred interspecific hybrid that has become especially familiar in Ontario through Icewine. Its French technical profile describes acidic, fairly high-alcohol wines with restrained aroma, while growers in colder North American regions use it across still, sparkling and late-harvest styles. Purdue’s Indiana guidance and Plantgrape’s French profile differ on winter response, a useful reminder that cultivar behaviour depends on climate, site and management.
ColourWhite
ClassificationInterspecific hybrid, not pure Vitis vinifera. Plantgrape and UC Davis FPS classify it as a hybrid grape.
Typical bodyNo fixed body level asserted. Wine type and harvest conditions create a broad range of styles.
Typical acidityPlantgrape describes Vidal blanc wines as acidic; FPS notes the cultivar’s potential for crisp, structured whites. No universal numerical acidity is asserted.
Automated browser speech. This pronunciation has not been verified by a language speaker.
Photograph pending verification
At a Glance
Still white, sparkling and distillation uses are documented by Purdue Extension in its Indiana context.
Typical tannin: Not assigned for conventional white wines; skin-fermented examples are not assumed.
Aromas and Flavours
- Plantgrape describes French Vidal blanc wine as not very aromatic with a slight bitterness. UC Davis FPS notes potential for crisp, structured whites and dessert wines. Those descriptions are qualified by source and wine style, not a guarantee for every bottle.
Where It Grows
- Ontario
- Indiana
- France
- Canada
- United States
Climate and Winemaking
Vidal is used in cool-climate regions and as a Canadian Icewine grape. Purdue Extension says that, under Indiana conditions, it needs a long growing season and moderate winter temperatures; Ontario cold-risk guidance distinguishes hybrid cultivars from more cold-sensitive vinifera. This is not a claim of immunity to winter injury.
Purdue’s Indiana guide describes late budbreak, small berries on very large loose clusters, thick skins, long hang time and possible cluster thinning to prevent overcropping. Plantgrape’s French technical profile reports vigour/productivity, mid-season maturity, some sensitivity to winter cold and spring frost, and recovery after spring frost. Keep these regional observations distinct rather than treating them as universally contradictory.
Vidal can be made as still or sparkling wine, used for distillation and harvested for Icewine. Ontario VQA defines Icewine as made from grapes naturally frozen on the vine, harvested below −8 °C, and makes Vidal Icewine the named hybrid exception to hybrid labelling restrictions.
Food Pairings
- Editorial suggestion: pair a sweet Vidal Icewine with a fruit-based dessert of similar sweetness, or blue cheese if the wine’s acidity and intensity balance it. This does not apply automatically to dry Vidal.
Ageing Potential
- No cultivar-wide ageing potential is asserted. Vidal Icewine and dry Vidal differ in residual sugar, acidity, structure and intended maturity; individual wine guidance should be followed.
Test Your Knowledge
- Why is Vidal classified as an interspecific hybrid rather than pure Vitis vinifera?
- How do Ontario VQA regulations define Icewine and make a special exception for Vidal?
- Why should an Icewine tasting note not be generalized to a dry Vidal wine?
Related Grapes
Sources and Further Reading
- Vidal blanc — Foundation Plant Services profile
- VIVC passport: Vidal Blanc, VIVC 13047
- Grape Varieties for Indiana (HO-221)
- Wine Categories and Labelling
- Harvest date and crop level influence sensory and chemical profiles of Ontario Vidal blanc and Riesling icewines
- Pelee Island Vidal Icewine VQA 2023
- LCBO wine glossary: Vidal
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines specification, August 2026 Issue 2.1
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines qualification page
