Photo by VIVC - Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Description
Vidal Blanc is a white hybrid grape raised in France by Jean-Louis Vidal, whose parents are Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) and the Seibel hybrid Rayon d'Or. It became the flagship grape for Canadian icewine: Ontario's VQA rules make a special exception allowing Vidal, a hybrid, to be used for icewine because of its consistent record of high-quality results. It is also widely grown for table wine in eastern North America.
Characteristics
White wine grape; interspecific hybrid; small berries in very large, compact bunches; late budbreak and late ripening; good winter hardiness; very productive; famous for icewine
Growing Tips
Vidal is heavily productive, so thin clusters to avoid overcropping, and it does best where the season is long, because it ripens late. Its late budbreak helps it escape spring frosts, and it has good winter hardiness. Cornell notes it is susceptible to ringspot virus, so plant virus-tested vines grafted onto a resistant rootstock such as 3309C.