About our Winning Wines

Autumn Gold recently won a Gold Medal in the VA Wine Lover’s Classic. Autumn Gold and Splashdam are both made with Vidal Blanc Grapes.  I thought you might like to know a little more about this grape.


Vidal Blanc is a hybrid grape, being a cross of Vitis vinifera which gives it taste characteristics of European grapes, and Vitis labrusca which gives it the hardiness of American vines. This grape is very winter hardy and is grown extensively in Virginia, the Northeast, and in Canada. The thick-skinned berries make them good for colder climates, and they are often used in ice wine production. 


The high, natural acidity in Vidal Blanc makes it a good candidate for a variety of grape styles, ranging from light and crisp vintages such as Splashdam to rich, syrupy ice wines or late harvest wine, i.e. Autumn Gold.
 The wine produced is very fruity, citrusy, with lush tropical notes such as pineapple. 
One of the parent grapes of Vidal Blanc is Ugni Blanc, also known as Trebbiano, a white grape used in blending Chianti. Vidal Blanc is the most widely planted hybrid grape in Virginia.