Grape Varieties
Ontario

under construction

 

Agria: is an early ripping grape suited to cool climate vineyards
Agria is also known as Turan. Agria's chief attributes are its dark color, high vigour growth, cool climate friendly and ripens early with good sugar content. It grows well in the Pacific Northwest.

It has been tested in Ontario


Auxerrois:
(ox-er-wah) Produces a white table wine sometimes referred to as Pinto Auxerrios.

Pinot Auxerrois another of the various clones of Pinot Noir, Auxerrois Blanc is a light white grape with qualities that range from neutrality to honey to asparagus, all dependent upon production method and oak aging.

In Ontario it is Viewpoint winery's most popular white. Auxerrois Crops well (4-4.5 Tones/acre). Cold hardy to about -22 C. Early harvest – 1 st week of September hence good ripeness levels. Sugars similar to Riesling although the acids are usually much lower.

 

Baco Noir: is a hybrid red grape variety that was produced by crossing two other grapes: a Vitis vinifera (Folle Blanche, a French wine grape) and an unknown variety of Vitis Riparia (an American wine grape). Created by French wine hybridizer Maurice Baco, it was at once commonly grown in France, but was heavily restricted for commercial use in 1951 by European Union regulations. At the same time, the variety was brought to the cooler viticulture regions of the United States, such as New York, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania and a few years later to Canada.

This hearty, early-ripening true north varietal is used wholly and in blends to produce medium-bodied, fruit forward and structured wines with concentrated red berry, wood, and spice flavours and relatively high acidity. Some of its best renditions are produced in Ontario and British Columbia.

Waupoos Estate, Sanson Estate, and Snadbank among the main producers

hybrids


Cabernet Franc
is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone

In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States it is made into icewine. the flavor profile of Cabernet Franc may be both fruitier and sometimes more herbal or vegetative than Cabernet Sauvignon, although lighter in both color and softer in tannins



Carménère
is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux , France , where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot .
Its rare in Ontario

Chardonnay grape is green-skinned and is believed to have originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown all over the world wherever wine is produced. It is a relatively “low-maintenance” vine that adapts well to a variety of climates, resulting in fairly high yields worldwide In Canada they are best grown in British Columbia and Ontario.

Chardonnay has also been grown in Nova Scotia. Blomidon Estate Winery makes 100% gown Chardonnay. Gaspereau Vineyards is another Nova Scotia producer of Chardonnay along with their traditional method Chardonnay Brut sparkling wine.

Les Pervenches, near Farnham in Quebec's Eastern Townships was among the first in Quebec to grow Chardonnay. Taws in Ontario produces great Chardonnay and Chardonnay icewine.

Chardonnay's boast an impressive range of flavors from the expected buttered, oak overtones to the fresh, fruit flavors of apple, pear, tropical, citrus and melon, leaving a lasting palate impression.

 



Chenin blanc (known also as Pineau de la Loire among other names ), is a white wine grape variety from the Loire valley of France . Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines , although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled.

it is found in most of the New World wine regions. Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc has been served to numerous visiting Heads of State including President Obama and the future King and Queen of England, William and Kate. Road 13 Vineyards also produces an Old Vine Chenin blanc

Chenin is one of the most versatile grape varieties. Crisp semi-sweet to dry wines, sparkling wine, dessert wines, and even brandies are most from this grape.

Stoney Ridge Cellars Ltd and Cave Springs in Ontario makes a very nice icewine.
Its also used in Washington State for icewine.

Dornfelder : an immensely popular German red wine grape; a 1955 crossing of Helfensteiner (Frühburgunder × Trollinger) and Heroldrebe

De Vine on Vancouver Island produces a Dornfelder wine- ripe, fruity German red with intense color and an aroma of spruce tips and elderberries.

8th Generation Confidence Frizzante style uses 50% Dornfelder along with Pinot Gris and Syrah

The Ice House winery in Ontario makes a Cabernet/ Dornfelder icewine.
Also grown in Quebec.

Dunkelfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine . It was created by German viticulturalist Gustav Adolf Froelich (1847-1912). He probably crossed Färbertraube (a teinturier ) with Blauer Portugieser .The variety, initially called Froelich V 4-4, did not receive any attention for several decades until work was continued on it at Geisenheim grape breeding institute in the 1930s. It was named Dunkelfelder ( dunkel = dark) by ampelographer Helmut Becker , due to its unclear parentage and its dark colour. Dunkelfelder received varietal protection and was released for general cultivation in 1980.

 

Ehrenfelser is a white wine grape variety of German origin. It was created by Dr. Heinrich Birk (1898-1973) at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in 1929, by crossing the varieties Riesling and Silvaner , with the identification of Silvaner being somewhat uncertain.

 

Your taste buds will find sweet grapefruit, green apple and a hint of honey.

Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines , most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar , mentioned as long ago as the 15th century. It has been often cultivated because it makes for abundant production; however, it can produce wines of distinction when planted on acidic soils, which help to soften the grape's naturally high acidity

Gamay is grown in the BC Okanagan, and Ontario

Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white
wines , and performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz . Gewürztraminer is a variety with a pink to red skin colour, which makes it a "white wine grape" as opposed to the blue to black-skinned varieties commonly referred to as "red wine grapes". The variety has high natural sugar and the wines are white and usually off-dry , with a flamboyant bouquet of lychees . Indeed, Gewürztraminer and lychees share the same aroma compounds .Dry Gewürztraminer's may also have aromas of roses, passion fruit and floral notes. It is not uncommon to notice some spritz (fine bubbles on the inside of the glass)



Pelee Island and Tawse in Ontario ar good producers

Grenache (pronounced gren-aash ) is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain , the south of France , and California. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively high alcohol content , but it needs careful control of yields for best results. It tends to lack acid , tannin and color , and is usually blended with other varieties such as Syrah , Carignan , Tempranillo and Cinsaut .

Kerner is an aromatic white grape variety. It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger (a red variety also known as Schiava grossa or Vernatsch) and Riesling. Herold was working at a plant breeding station in Lauffen in the Württemberg region of Germany . This station belonged to a state breeding institute headquartered. It received varietal protection and was released for general cultivation in 1969



Rief Estates in Ontario makes a Kerner Nouveau. Kerner Reserve made by Diamond Estates.

Tasting notes bouquet of white peach, with a while round creamy mid-palate with hints of lime and ripe apricot. Sweet juicy long lasting finish.

Frontenac

is a French-American hybrid grapevine that is a result of research and cross-breeding by the University of Minnesota . It was grown from a crossing of the complex interspecific hybrid Landot 4511 and a very cold hardy selection of Vitis riparia . It was released in 1996.

Frontenac gris is a white wine version of Frontenac, introduced in 2003. It started as a single bud mutation of Frontenac, yielding gray (thus named gris) fruit and amber-colored juice. Frontenac blanc will be introduced in 2012 from white fruited mutations found in both Fronenac and Frontenac gris vines in Minnesota and Canada

Frontenac Gris (pictured) makes a white wine with a peach and tropical fruit flavor.

Coffin Ridge produces both

 

 

Geisenheim Gm318-57:

White wine producing hybrid cultivar technically known as GM318-57 created in 1957. Reported as derived from Riesling cl.239 F2 and Chancellor parents . Moderately winter hardy. Susceptible to leaf burn from copper-containing sprays and fungus diseases such as Powdery Mildew. Usually ripens late September where successfully grown in Nova Scotia, Canada. A reportedly slightly hardier yet similar hybrid is the Jost (Geisenheim). A somewhat similar cultivar, currently grown on the south island of New Zealand, is a variety named Breidecker. It can be found in Quebec

Ontario's Coffin Ridge is a producer

Marechal Joffre

comes from the same cross as Marechal Foch and Leon Millot. The Mgt 101-14 x Goldriesling cross was made by Eugene Kuhlmann in France in the early 1900's. This variety is said to be earlier ripening than Leon Millot

This variety is very disease resistant, similar to that of Foch, and cold hardy to about the same as Leon Millot -27c. The clusters and berries are small but there are usually 2-3 clusters per shoot. The juice of the Joffre berries resembles that of the other Kulhmann hybrids with a little less pronounced berry fruit expression. However, on the chemistry side the juice can reach a high brix in the 23-25 brix range while the acid levels are better than Foch which can often be quite high

Can also be found in New Brunswick

Grown by Jost Vineyards Vineyards

 

New York Muscat

This large, blue skinned grape was bred in Geneva, New York. It is intensely flavoured and extremely popular in Nova Scotia. The grapes are used in dry wines and Icewines. Bold and exotic, New York Muscat produces aromatic but dry full-bodied white wines with intense aromas of roses, grapefruit and exotic fruit such as lychee. has a labruscia like growth habit good hardiness and disease resistant mow yields but produces a nice wine.

 

Seyval Blanc

This grape is hardy and versatile and performs well in Nova Scotia's warmer regions. Crisp and clean, Seyval Blanc produces light to medium-bodied white wines with crisp citrus fruit aromas and flavours– has a sweet and clean bouquet reminiscent of pears and citrus fruit a great - aperitif or to enjoy with simply prepared mussels or light white fish such as sole.

know as Seyve-Villard 5-276 hybrid Seyval Blanc was created either by Bertille Seyve , or his son-in-law Villard, as a cross of Seibel 5656 and Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986

some top producers are Jost Vineyards,Domaine de Grand Pré, Petite's Rivieres. Blomidon Estates and Sainte Famillie

Vidal Blanc

Lively and versatile, Vidal Blanc's fresh lemony flavours and vibrant acidity make it well suited to making dry, off-dry or impeccably balanced Icewines. a late ripping varietal with moderate winter hardiness Primary use is icewine

Domaine de Grand Pré and Jost area top producer. Avondale Sky Winery produces a dessert wine called Pinnacle Hill with Vidal.



L'Acadie Blanc

  • The signature white grape of Nova Scotia. Created in Vineland, Ontario, this grape proved unsuitable to the Ontario climate but produces excellent wines in Nova Scotia.

  • The grape is hardy, early-ripening and disease resistant.

  • Fresh and refined, L'Acadie Blanc typically produces dry, medium bodied white wines with fresh flavours such as citrus fruit, and a slight herbaceous character. Oak-aged versions often develop buttery nuances, pear and apple flavours, and creamy textures – the perfect match to Digby Scallops or Atlantic Smoked Salmon.

  • L'Acadie Winemaker Bruce Ewert has always said that the climate is perfect in the Gaspereau Valley for making traditional method (TM) sparkling wine and that L'Acadie is an appropriate grape

Some top producers are Domaine de Grand Pré, Jost Vineyards, Sainte Famille and Annapolis Highland Vineyards. L'Acadie vineyards uses it to make their award winning Sparkling wines.


Lemberger
Officially classified under the name “Blauer Limberger,” this red grape variety also goes by the synonyms “Lemberger” and Blaufränkisch. The late-ripening Lemberger probably originated in vineyards on the lower stretches of the Danube River.

Cold-hardy red wine grape with mild tannins and a chocolate raspberry flavour. Wines made from this grape can often have low levels of histamines.




Léon Millot is a red variety of hybrid grape; it was created in 1911 in the Oberlin Institute in Colmar, Alsace , by the French viticulturist Eugène Kuhlmann (1858–1932) by crossing the hybrid grape Millardet et Grasset 101-14 O.P. (which is Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris ) with Goldriesling , which is Vitis vinifera . The variety was named after the winemaker and tree nursery owner Léon Millot.

Léon Millot ripens early, and has high resistance against fungal diseases. It is therefore suited for cultivation in colder climates. It gives powerful wine with some foxy aromas

Saxon Winery in Summerland grows the grape. Beaufort Estate-grown Leon Millot used in Blends. Mistaken Identity, Gary Oaks, and Salt Spring Winery on Salt Spring Island are growers.

 

Malbec ( pronounced: [mal.b?k] ) is a purple grape variety used in making red wine . The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins , and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine .

The grape can be found almost world wide. It does well in Argentina. The Malbec grape is a thin-skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature. It ripens mid-season and can bring very deep color, ample tannin , and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends

 


Marechal Foch
(pronounced "mar-esh-shall-fosh"), is an inter-specific hybrid red grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War .

It was developed in Alsace , France by grape hybridizer Eugene Kuhlmann. It ripens early , is cold-hardy, is resistant to fungal diseases, but because of its small berry size is prone to bird injury. The quality of wine produced by Marechal Foch vines is highly dependent upon vine age, and the flavor profile associated with many new-world hybrid varietals is much reduced in examples made with fruit picked from older vines. The berry size of this variety is small.

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Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape , that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird ( Turdus merula ), probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry , plum , and currant . Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening

"everybody knows Merlot"

 


Mourvèdre
(also known as Mataró or Monastrell ) is a red wine variety that is grown in many regions around the world regions of France , the Valencia and Spain , California and Washington State and the Australian regions of South Australia and New South Wales . In addition to making red varietal wines, Mourvèdre is a prominent component in "GSM" blends where it is blended with Grenache and Syrah . The variety is also used to make rosé and port-style fortified wines .

Mourvèdre tends to produce tannic wines that can be high in alcohol. The style of wine produced from the grapes varies greatly according to where it is produced

 

 

 

Muscat v species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine , raisins and table grapes . Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma . Muscat grapes are grown around the world. The breadth and number of varieties of muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety

Muscat Blanc: is the most popular varietal. Is marked by a pale yellow colour and floral notes. Muscat Blanc is pictured.

Muscat Ottonel is often used in dessert wines.

Black Muscat and Orange Muscat: more high-end, dessert wine Orange Muscat is more common in California.

 

Muscat Ottonel or Muskat-Ottonel (in Germany ) is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera . It is most notable for its use in dessert wines from Austria , Croatia and Serbia as well as dry wines from Alsace and Hungary Muscat Ottonel is more cold-hardy than its relatives. The variety has also established itself in Canadian vineyards in Ontario and British Columbia

Small Talk is a producer

Müller-Thurgau is Germany's second most planted grape. It is planted in every wine region and covers 34,565 acres (13,988 hectares), accounting for 13.7% of Germany's vineyards. a variety of white grape (sp. Vitis vinifera ) which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale.


Also found in Oregon

Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape , principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It has attracted attention among winemakers in the New World , where it ripens well and has been made into single varietal wine. It is also useful in 'stiffening' the mid palate of Cabernet Sauvignon blends

 

Pinot blanc is a white wine grape . It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir . Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit.

Its chief flavour characteristics are freshness, yeasty and often apple-y aromas, and occasionally a hint of spice. It's not a wine for long lay-downs; it ages okay for a year or two but then starts to lose its luster

 

Pinot Gris perhaps the most popular BC grape around 11% of all grapes panted in BC. Pinot gris (also known as pinot grigio ) is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera . Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name ( gris meaning "grey" in French) but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. The word pinot , which comes from the word meaning "pine cone" in French, could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pine cone-shaped clusters. The wines produced from this grape also vary in colour from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink.



Pinot Meunier , pronounced: [pi.no mø.nje] , also known as Meunier or SchwarzRiesling , is a variety of black wine grape most noted for being one of the three main varieties used in the production of champagne (the other two are the black variety Pinot noir and the white Chardonnay ). Pinot Meunier is gaining recognition for the body and richness it contributes to Champagne ( Sparkling wines). It is a chimeric mutation of Pinot: its inner cell layers are composed of a Pinot genotype which is close to Pinot noir or Pinot gris; the outer, epidermal, layer is however made up of a mutant, distinctive, genotype. Pinot Meunier was first mentioned in the 16th century

 


Pinot noir
( French: [pino nwa?] ) is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera . The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the grape variety's tightly clustered dark purple pine-cone shaped bunches of fruit.

Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France . It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine.

Quality Pinot noir has been grown in Ontario for some time in the Niagara Peninsula and especially the Niagara-on-the-Lake and Short Hills Bench wine regions, as well as in Prince Edward County and on the north shore of Lake Erie . It has also been grown recently in the Okanagan , Lower Mainland , and Vancouver Island wine regions of British Columbia , the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia and the Lanaudière and Brome-Missisquoi regions of Quebec

 

Pinotage a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety. It was bred there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut (Cinsaut was known as "Hermitage" in South Africa during that time, hence the portmanteau name of Pinotage). It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit . Pinotage is often blended, and also made into fortified wine and even red sparkling wine . The grape is a viticultural cross of two varieties of Vitis vinifera , not a hybrid .


Regent
is a dark-skinned inter-specific hybrid grape variety, used for making wine. It has both European (Vitis vinifera) and American vine species in its pedigree and a broad resistance against the most significant fungal diseases which affect grapes, such as downy mildew

Regent was created in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding by crossing Diana, a Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau cross and thus a Vitis vinifera variety, with the interspecific hybrid Chambourcin Experimental plantings followed in 1985 and it received varietal protection in 1994 and was released for cultivation in the first German region in 1996. It is at present among the most important new fungal-resistant quality grape variety world-wide, especially in German wine regions.

Oxley Estate Winery on The Lake Erie North Shore grows this garpe

 

Reichensteiner is a white wine grape that is mainly grown in Germany (349 hectares (860 acres) and England acres It is a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Madeleine Angevine x Calabreser Froehlich , and was first bred in Germany during 1939.In England, it is the 2nd most grown after Seyval Blanc

 

 

Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany . Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines . Riesling wines are usually varietally pure and are seldom oaked . It is usually included in the "top three" white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc . Riesling is a variety which is highly " terroir -expressive", meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine's place of origin.

Ontario has always been know for its Riesling and its use in Icewine. In BC the grape is also popular and used in icewine.

 

Rotberger is a wine grape variety . Its parentage is not known with certainty but it is thought to be from a cross of Trollinger and Riesling grapes). [ 1 ] Dr. Heinrich Birk (1898-1973) produced the cross at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in 1928. It is used to produce fruity , early maturing light red wines in cool-climate areas. It is often best drunk when young and can be used to produce a rosé or sparkling wine . It has no relationship with the Rotburger variety bearing a nearly similar name which is also known as Zweigelt .

Production of rotberger is quite small and primarily limited to Austria, Canada, Germany, and Liechtenstein.. It can be found in the Okanagan.

 

Sangiovese (san-jo- veh -zeh ) is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis , "the blood of Jove ". The Young Sangiovese has fresh fruity flavours of strawberry and a little spiciness, but it readily takes on oaky, even tarry, flavors when aged in barrels. At least fourteen Sangiovese clones exist, of which Brunello is one of the best regarded.

 

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France . The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France .

Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine .

Sauvignon Blanc is widely cultivated in France, Chile, Canada, Australia , New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Moldova and California .

The first thing you'll notice about Sauvignon Blanc is its instantly recognizable smell. It's often described as grassy or herbaceous , with notes of green fruit, such as gooseberry,

 

Siegerrebe (literally "Victory vine" in German ) is a white wine grape that is grown primarily in Germany with some plantings in England , Washington State , and British Columbia 's North Okanagan .

Siegerrebe was created by German viticulturalist Dr. Georg Scheu (1879-1949) in 1929 at a grape-breeding institute in Alzey in Rheinhessen , by crossing Madeleine Angevine and Gewürztraminer .
It is often used in blending

 

Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines , most notably in France and Australia . Sémillon is one of the few white varieties (Riesling is the other) with a spectacular ability to age

Sémillon, which is relatively easy to cultivate, consistently produces six to eight tons of grapes per acre from its vigorous vines. It is fairly resistant to disease, except for rot. The grape ripens early, when, in warmer climates, it acquires a pinkish hue .Since the grape has a thin skin, there is also a risk of sunburn in hotter climates; it is best suited to areas with sunny days and cool nights.

The Sémillon grape is rather heavy, with low acidity and an almost oily texture. It has a high yield and wines based on it can age a long time.

Stratus is a producer


Syrah
or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines . Whether sold as Syrah or Shiraz, these wines enjoy great popularity.

Syrah is used as a varietal and is also blended. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world's 7th most grown grape. Syrah has a bright future in BC

 

Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early") a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. and is often referred to as Spain's noble grape . Grown early in the 20th century to produce jug wines in California, toward the end of the 20th century Tempranillo enjoyed a renaissance there and throughout the world as a fine wine. The grape has been planted in New Zealand , South America , USA , South Africa , Australia , Argentina , Turkey and Canada

D'Angelo Estate Winery

Trebbiano may the second most widely planted grape in the world. It gives good yields, but makes undistinguished wine at best. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac production. Also known as Ugni Blanc , in particular in France, it has many other names reflecting a family of local subtypes, particularly in Italy and France

 


Vidal Blanc
is an inter-specific hybrid variety of white wine grape , a cross of Ugni Blanc and Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986). It manages to produce high sugar levels in cold climates while maintaining good acid levels.

Vidal Blanc was developed in the 1930s by French breeder Jean Louis Vidal ; his primary goal in developing the variety was to produce vines suitable for the production of Cognac in the Charente region of France . However, due to its winter hardiness this grape variety is cultivated most extensively in Canada and in the north-eastern United States . It is somewhat resistant to powdery mildew .

The wine produced from Vidal Blanc is fruity , with grapefruit and pineapple notes. Due to its high acidity and fruitiness it is particularly suited to sweeter, dessert wines . In particular, because of the tough outer skin of the fruit, it is well adapted for the production of icewine , especially in Ontario

In Canada's, quality wine-classification system, the Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA), it is the only hybrid entitled to the highest category of quality. This is the Designated Viticultural Area (DVA) status. However, this honor is reserved for its Ice Wine incarnation only.



Viognier
( French pronunciation: [vi??je] ) is a white wine grape . It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.
The use of Viognier in the United Sates and Canada is dramatically rising. Viognier wines are well known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes , which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were

 


A good blend Le Vieux Pin 2009 Viognier-Roussanne

 

 

Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards . DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski and as well as Tribidrag the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia (the "heel" of Italy ), where it was introduced in the 18th century. The grape found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, and became known by variations of the name "Zinfandel", a name of uncertain origin.

The grapes typically produce a robust red wine, although a semi-sweet rosé (blush-style) wine called White Zinfandel has six times the sales of the red wine in the United States. The grape's high sugar content can be fermented into levels of alcohol exceeding 15 percent.

The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruit flavors like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas



Zweigelt
is a red wine grape variety developed in 1922, at the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology Austria , by Fritz Zweigelt . It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch . It is now the most widely-grown red grape variety in Austria. The grape has practical mild disease resistance to the common mildews and is relatively cold hardy to approximately -20c.

Zweigelt vines have made in roads in the Canadian wine regions of Ontario 's Niagara Peninsula and of British Columbia. Stonehill (no longer open) planted the first Zweigelt in British Columbia in 1997 Arrowleaf Cellars among the first planting 2 acres in 1999.

 Del Gatto Estates  grows Pinotage

Hibernal is a variety of white wine grape of the hybrid with Vitis vinifera which was developed in 1944, by Heinrich Birk at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute. The variety is a genetic crossbreed of the Seibel 7053 and Riesling clone 239 grape varieties. Hibernal has had plant variety protection since 1977 Grown by Meadow Lane Winery

A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red "noble" Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and the rarer St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère. If the blend includes any other grape variety, it is, by definition, not a Meritage.

Please see : Ontario ~ Nova Scotia ~ Quebec ~ New Brunswick ~ Newfoundland

 

Wineries of Canada

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