< previous page
All About Icewine
There is a mystique and romance that's grown up around
Icewine. It's called Canada's "liquid gold", receives critical acclaim, wins
gold medals in international competitions and commands high prices. It has acquired the
status of being the flagship product that has made the world take notice of Ontario
winemaking. Still, for all its fame, many consumers have only a vague understanding of
what differentiates Icewine from other wines, when it should be served and with what foods
(is it just a dessert wine?), and why it is expensive.
 The story
of Icewine is for many Canadians a source of pride. When consumers hear how Icewine is
made, why Ontario's wine regions are exceptionally well suited for Icewine, and the
international attention these wines have received they are intrigued and keen to try it.
A Little Bit of History
It is said that Icewine was accidentally discovered in
Germany in 1794 by farmers trying to save their grape harvest after a sudden frost. In the
1980s, perceptive vintners recognized that Ontario's cold winters would provide the
perfect conditions for producing exceptional Icewine. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 1991, Inniskillin entered its 1989 Vidal Icewine at
Vinexpo in Bordeaux where it won the Grand Prix d'Honneur and the world's attention. Since
that time, Ontario's Icewines have been unrivalled on the world stage. Year after year,
they bring home gold medals and critical acclaim from the most prestigious international
competitions.
What is Icewine and How is it Made?
Icewine is a dessert wine renowned for its intense
flavours, rich bouquet and unsurpassed smoothness. It is produced from grapes that have
been left on the vine after the fall harvest. When temperatures dip to -8°C (or lower)
the frozen grapes are handpicked and pressed immediately to carefully release a thick,
rich, yellow-gold liquid, highly concentrated in natural sugars and acidity.
VQA Requirements for Icewine
- Production must be monitored by a VQA-appointed agent who
will stop the harvest once the temperature rises above -8°C.
- It must be produced as a varietal from approved grapes.
- The grapes must be naturally frozen on the vine and
harvested and pressed in a continuous process while the air temperature remains at or
below -8°C.
- 100 per cent of the grapes must be grown within a
viticultural area, which must be indicated on the label.
- The average sugar level of the juice used must reach at
least 35° Brix (Brix is the measurement of sugar in grapes) and both the alcohol and
residual sugar in the finished wine must result exclusively from the natural sugar of the
grapes.
Why is Ontario the World's Major Producer of Icewine?
To produce Icewine, summers must be hot and winters must
be cold and sharp. Of all the wine-producing regions in the world, only Ontario has a
winter climate sufficiently cold to ensure an Icewine crop in most years. Icewine is
currently produced by 60 wineries in Ontario. Even Germany cannot produce an Icewine every
vintage.
Why is Icewine So Expensive?
- The production of true Icewine is risky. Icewine producers
leave select vineyards unharvested and wait for winter to set in. The fruit left on the
vine after the normal fall harvest is vulnerable to rot, ravaging winds, hail, hungry
birds and animals.
- The making of Icewine is labour intensive. In order to
ensure that the grapes are harvested when frozen solid, a trained workforce must be
available to go out into the vineyards in the middle of the night at temperatures below
-8°C to pick the frozen grapes by hand. The grapes must be pressed immediately while they
are still frozen.
- Yields are small. It takes about 3.5 kilograms of Riesling
grapes or three kilograms of Vidal grapes to produce one 375-millilitre bottle of Icewine.
The same amount of grapes would produce six to seven times as much table wine.
Which Grape Varieties Are Used for Icewine?
- The majority of Icewine continues to be made from Riesling
and Vidal. Riesling produces an Icewine with more acidity than Vidal.
- Other varieties used include Gew¸rztraminer, Cabernet
Franc, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, and Gamay.
- Newer variations to look for: sparkling Icewine and other
varietals.
Icewine — Not Just a Dessert Wine
- If you're serving Icewine with dessert, make sure the
dessert is less sweet than the Icewine (try fruit-based desserts such as peach cobbler,
cheesecake or unsweetened fruit pies).
- Serve as a starter with pâté or foie gras.
- Enjoy anytime alongside fresh fruit and young, soft
cheese.
- And, it's superb all by itself.
Some Serving Tips
- Chill Icewine in an ice bucket for 15 minutes or
refrigerate for two hours before serving.
- Serve Icewine in a traditional white wine glass to fully
enjoy the rich, full bouquet.
- Allow 1.5 ounces per person.
- Once opened, Icewine will keep for several weeks if sealed
in the refrigerator.
Imitations Are Not the Same
There's a growing market in fake Icewine (particularly in
Asia), as producing the real thing involves financial risk and intensive labour. It's
cheaper and easier to freeze grapes artificially, use concentrate, and sweeten or fortify
wines. But the result is a poor imitation.
To distinguish the real from the fake, look for the word
"Icewine" to be spelled as a single word and make sure the VQA logo is properly
displayed on the bottle. "Icewine" is a registered trademark in Canada and can
only be used by producers of VQA-approved Icewines.
|
