🍇 Maréchal Foch

Maréchal Foch is a French hybrid created by Eugène Kuhlmann in 1911, named after the World War I French general Ferdinand Foch. A cross of Goldriesling and a Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris hybrid, it was bred for cold resistance and disease tolerance. While largely abandoned in Europe, Maréchal Foch found a second home in Canada and the northern United States, where it thrives in climates too harsh for Vitis vinifera. The grape produces deeply coloured, fruity wines that can range from light and Beaujolais-like to more serious, oak-aged versions. Some producers use it for icewine, creating a rare red icewine style.