Schulze Vineyards Vidal Blanc Dry 2006
Niagara County, New York ($14)
In the game of baseball there are some players that you can just always count on. They might be starters but more likely they are substitutes who can play several positions. Sometimes they're called utility players, filling any gaps a team might have on defense. They are usually consistent at the plate and can always be counted on to have a good at bat when called upon to pinch hit. In many ways I think the Vidal grape is just like one of those utility players. This grape may not have the superstar recognition of a Napa Cabernet or a Barolo, but don't sell it short, it can hold its own with the big guys.
Vidal, a grape created by Frenchman Albert Seibel, is a cross of Ugni Blanc, or Trebbiano, and Rayon d'Or. It's very cold hardy, meaning it is suited to growing in cold climates and it can be found mainly in Canada, the Finger Lakes and other cold climate viticultural areas. Vidal really shines when it is used as an ice wine grape as they do on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada, where you can also find several dry and semi dry versions. Vidal is a grape you can count on in the vineyard and it gives the winemaker several options.
Schulze Vineyards and Winery in Burt, NY makes the most of this grape's potential in many ways. This one I am tasting is a dry still wine version, but they also make a semi-dry and a champagne-style sparkler with Vidal. This wine is a pale straw color with aromas of melon, peach, and a bit of fresh cut grass scent thrown in as well. Medium body texture with a zesty quality reminiscent of a first-rate Sauvignon Blanc. This crispness combined with and the fact that it's bone dry and refreshing makes it a summer go-to wine in my book. This wine stands out as one of the best white wines I've tasted from the region. It pairs well with seafood, chicken, pork and lighter summer eats. Cheers to that!
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