Canada’s wine industry is young compared to that of many regions in the world, yet its evolution has been rapid and dynamic.
As climate change continues to reshape viticulture, could hybrids be the future of Canadian wine?
What are hybrid grapes?
Hybrid varieties are the result of crossbreeding two different grapevine species, typically European vitis vinifera with a native American species like vitis labrusca or the Asian vitis amurensis. They were originally cultivated for their resilience to cold temperatures and resistance to diseases and rot.
Ontario vineyards were historically planted to hybrids such as Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Baco Noir, which were imported from France, where they were bred to resist phylloxera after the devastation of Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century. The dominance of hybrids began to decline in the 1980s, though Vidal Blanc remains the province’s most-planted white variety, mainly used for Icewine.
Hybrids, both internationally and in Canada
Until recently, European Union wine laws banned hybrid grape varieties in Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines. Member states now regulate their use individually, and hybrids are widely grown in Northern Europe (and the UK) and are being tried in traditional regions like Bordeaux and Champagne.
New breeding programmes have produced Piwi (short for Pilzwiderstandsfähig in German, meaning fungal-resistant) varieties that require fewer chemical treatments. As sustainability becomes a greater priority, many see Piwis as a key part of the future of European viticulture.
Hybrid planting in Canada varies across the four major wine-growing provinces. Nova Scotia and Quebec mostly grow hybrids, while Ontario and British Columbia grow fewer.
In Nova Scotia, and especially in Quebec, a new generation of cold-hardy hybrids bred at the University of Minnesota with exotic-sounding names like Frontenac Noir, La Crescent and Petite Pearl, dominate the landscape.
To read the full article, click HERE.