Ontario's first organic winery

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“What’s Chambourcin?”, is a question we often hear.

Well, it’s a hybrid … just like new apple varieties (Empire, Gala, Honeycrisp etc).

Hybrids are created by crossing different species of grapevines mostly to handle harsh growing conditions or cold weather and to resist disease.

(Grape hybrids have nothing to do with Monsanto’s GMOs…ugh!)

Vidal Blanc                                        Chambourcin

These different species of grapevines are native to different continents. The latin name for this category of plants is vitis. So the native European grape is vitis vinifera and prized in winemaking. Vitis labrusca is one of many native North American grapevines and mostly used for juice, jams/jellies/preserves like Concord and Niagara, but there are others like vitis riparia, vitis rupestris, vitis berlandieri etc. used for rootstocks and breeding.

In response to the devastation of European vineyards in the late 1880s due to phylloxera (brought from North America), wine producers used North American vitis species for both grape breeding and grafting to save the European wine industry.

European grape breeders crossed vinifera cultivars with several North American vitis species and produced what is known as hybrids (European + North American crosses, also called French-American hybrids).

These early hybrids did not produce quality wine (because breeders used lower quality vinifera parents) and much of this wine was sold as “bulk”.

Unfortunately, wine made from hybrid grapes today still carries this reputation. But in reality, hybrids have come a long way. Efforts in the 20th century produced much better quality cultivars which produce fine wines!

Here are 8 permissible hybrid grapes allowed as single varietal wines under VQA regulations:

  • Baco Noir (c. 1800s)
  • Chambourcin (c.1963)
  • Chancellor (c. 1860)
  • Couderc Muscat (c. 2006)
  • Maréchal Foch (c. 1910s)
  • Seyval Blanc (c. 1921)
  • Vidal Blanc (c. 1930s)
  • Villard Noir (c. 1900s)

(Marquette, c. 2006, is now under consideration for inclusion by VQA)

So, back to Chambourcin. What is it?

Frogpond Farm Organic Chambourcin is a delightful, light-bodied, red wine, deeply pigmented and aromatic. It has low tannins (if tannic wines bother you), cranberry and red cherry flavours and a smooth, soft texture. It can be chilled for sipping on the patio.

Our other hybrid grape wines are …

Frogpond Farm Organic Vidal is a dry, light, crisp white wine with a floral bouquet, peach notes and a touch of spice or orange and grapefruit pith on the finish.

Frogpond Farm Organic Orange is “trendy”! It’s actually a skin fermented white wine (Vidal), with a funky orange hue, and a palate that is herbal, nutty, with notes of sourdough, orchard fruit and zippy orange zest.

Fun Facts:

  • Vidal is versatile and often made as a dessert wine due to its acidity and fruitiness (e.g., Late Harvest, Icewine)
  • The French government’s plan to reduce the use of pesticides by 50% (by 2018, EcoPhyto plan), has led to the creation of new hybrid grape varieties that are resistant to downy and powdery mildew (fungal diseases): 2 red, Artaban and Vidoc; and 2 white, Floreal and Voltis
  • In Germany, Regent, a cross between Diana (vitis vinifera) and Chambourcin (hybrid) has Qualitätswein classification
  • Italy’s largest nursery, Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo (VCR) omits labeling hybrid grape varieties as hybrid instead they call them “disease resistant varieties”

It’s time to rethink hybrids as vinifera’s poor cousins. Try them.