As a crisp wine without wood aging, Vidal is very clean with floral and resinous notes
July 03, 2011
Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop discusses wine by the grape variety Blaufrankisch. This is not well known among wine lovers in Manila but it is a wine that is worth exploring.
July 03,2011
Vidal Blanc, also known as Vidal 256, is a versatile grape that can be made into a bone-dry, steely wine for fish, a barrel-aged wine reminiscent of a Fumé Blanc, or an ice wine that can rival the best dessert Rhine wines produced in Germany.
Vidal Blanc is a white grape that was developed in the 1930′s by the French hybridizer, Jean Louis Vidal. Monsieur Vidal’s primary goal in developing Vidal Blanc was to produce grapes suitable for the production of cognac (a wine that is made to be distilled into brandy and then aged in wood) in the Charentes region of France. He had no idea that his work would lead to the development of a grape variety that is as versatile as it is for the production of table wines and of great importance to the Eastern United States wine industry. Vidal Blanc tends to be grown in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England.
Vidal Blanc is a hybrid that crosses: a) the grape alternatively called St. Emilion in Cognac, France, Ugni Blanc in the south of France, and Trebbiano Toscano in Chianti, Italy; with b) the French-American hybrid grape hybridized by Albert Seibel called Rayon d’Or (Seibel 4986). St. Emilion (aka Ugni Blanc and Trebbiano Toscano) is also used in Europe for the production of wine that is later distilled to make Cognac and Armagnac in France, and distilled spirits in Italy.
As noted earlier, this grape can make a wide range of wine styles including austere wines for fish, big fat Fumé Blanc-style wines if aged in oak, and Rhine wine-like dessert wines. The Hudson Valley, due to its climate, is capable of producing each of these three distinct styles.
As a crisp wine without wood aging, Vidal is very clean with floral and resinous notes that include flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, melon, hazelnuts, pears and orange blossoms. It has high acid levels, so sometimes residual sugar is left to balance with the acid so that the wines do not taste too tart. Other times it is made bone-dry and austere. Further, the wines can have the feel of May Wines in their fruit composition, mineral flinty body and viscosity.
As a Fumé Blanc type of wine, the grapes are left on the vine for a longer period of time (two weeks longer than most or until about the first week of October) to increase their sugars and more importantly to reduce the grape’s acid profile. After being made, the wine is aged in wood for at least six months to soften its body, brighten its nose, give it more complex smoky notes and rich spice and butter flavors, and to elongate its finish. These wines are much more approachable than the steely Vidals described earlier. This style of Vidal is more nutty, buttery, complex and “greasy” (like gin). These wines have the flavor of ripe pears, orange rinds, vanilla, and almonds.
As an ice wine, Vidal has the classic Rhine wine qualities of rich honey, citrus flavors reminiscent of Grand Marnier, and hazelnuts, with an underlying metallic finish like mineral water. The reason these Vidal ice wines, like other ice wines, are so rare and expensive is that the grapes stay on the vines until late November or December. While hanging, the grapes shrivel like raisins, so when they are finally pressed, the grape yields little juice. But this juice is highly concentrated in flavor and sugar. These wines are great alone or with chocolate desserts.
Vidal Blanc is also used by several Hudson Valley wineries as a base wine that is blended with other grapes such as Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, and Vignoles. Vidal, on its own, has a more muted nose when compared to other white wine varietals, but it has a solid body and foundation. Vidal can be blended with other whites to brighten its taste and to add complexity.
Personally, I like blended Vidals because they tend to be more interesting, more complex, and more complete than the individual component wines that make up these blends. So when visiting a local winery, ask about their white blends and what grape varieties are used in those blends. For fun, buy a few different varietal wines and have a blending party to see what blends you and your guests can come up with.
Vidal Blanc, due to its versatility in the cellar, its ability to be blended with other white wines, and its ability to be grown throughout the Hudson Valley, should continue to have a prominent place in the Hudson Valley wine scene for decades to come.
“Vidal Blanc” and “Pinot Noir” articles are adapted from the forthcoming book “Grapes of the Hudson Valley” by J. Stephen Casscles. In future issues of Hudson Valley Wine magazine, we’ll feature additional excerpts from this definitive work on regional varietals culled from decades of the author’s tasting notes and personal experience.
The wine shop in Angeles Philippines Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga as well as other wine shops, wine bars and wine outlets in Subic and Manila are wells stocked with interesting selections of many kinds of wine from various producers covering a wide range of prices. Of particular interest to wine lovers is the depth of vintages of wine available at the wine shop, wine bars and other wine outlets of Yats Wine Cellars in Philippines.
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Food and wine lovers of Manila gather in Pampanga to enjoy a sumptuous dinner at the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga featuring classic French cuisine, many order fine vintage wines from Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge to pair with these delectable dishes, all in all, one of the best dinners they enjoy for a long time.
Best Restaurant in Clark Pampanga cooks up a sumptuous dinner featuring the regional cuisine of Italy that food and wine lovers can enjoy with their favorite vintage wines from Piedmont, Tuscany, Amarone, Sicily and other major wine regions of Italy, all available from the majestic wine cellars of Yats Restaurant many regard as the best place to enjoy wine in the Philippines
Best Restaurant in Clark Pampanga rolls out special set menus designed to showcase the culinary excellence of Italy; great Italian food that can be paired with fine Italian Vintage wine available at the wine cellars of Yats Restaurant which many regard to be the best restaurant near Manila.
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How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
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