One parent, Ugni blanc, is from the Vitis vinifera species of European grapevines that produce most of the world's well-known wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

[1] In the late 1940s, the grape was brought to Canada by Adhemar de Chaunac, a French enologist working for the Ontario wine producer T.G.

De Chaunac was responsible for bringing many Vitis vinifera and hybrid varieties to Canada to see which grapes could grow well in the Canadian climate.

Vidal Blanc was one of the varieties that de Chaunac experimented with late harvest and leaving the grapes on the vines well into winter.

[1] Vidal blanc is a very winter-hardy variety, able to survive prolonged exposure to cold temperatures during the dormant winter season and produce viable secondary buds that will still yield a crop even after a late spring frost.

[1] Though Vidal blanc is no longer authorized in France or widely planted there, the grape has found success in North America where it is grown in many wine regions throughout Canada and the United States[1] as well as Sweden.

It is widely planted throughout the country, particularly in the east coast (Virginia and New York), Great Lakes region (Ohio, Michigan and Indiana) and Midwest (Missouri in the Augusta and Hermann AVAs).

[2] Vidal Blanc is noted for not having the characteristic "foxy" taste that it is identifiable with many hybrid-varieties which include American grapevines in their parentage.

[8] In British Columbia, both dry and ice wine styles of Vidal blanc are marked by tropical aromas and strong fruity flavors.