GRAPEVINE 'Blanc du Bois' --Vitis vinifera--

American hybrid grape that was created in 1968 by John A. Mortensen at the University of Florida. Mortensen created this variety by crossing various Vitis vinifera grape varieties such as Golden Muscat with native Florida varieties. When released in 1987, Blanc du Bois became another grape variety in the small but growing number of vine types that can both produce marketable wine on their own yet can withstand Pierce's Disease, a bacterial infection that destroys nearly all vinifera vinestocks imported into the southern United States. Highly popular with Texas growers, this variety is well suited to our climage and grows here with vigor. There are currently more acres of Blanc Du Bois grown in Texas than in any other state and it now ranks as the top produced white wine grapes in Texas. As the name implies, only white wine is made from Blanc du Bois grapes. The grape is used to make white wine varieties that range from dry, semi-sweet, and blush, to port and sparkling.