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Ice Wine…it is time
Rick's Picks - January 2009
by Rick VanSickle

Canada is hockey, doughnuts and cold snowy winters. But one product that elicits more oohs and aahs than any other is our famous icewine — that golden, honey-sweet nectar that's painstakingly squeezed from grapes nurtured in Canadian vineyards when temperatures plummet to their frigid worst.

It is a labour intensive pursuit that requires hand picking grapes after being frozen in the vineyard and then, while still frozen, they are pressed. They must be picked before 10 a.m. while making sure the temperature doesn't exceed -8C.

The frozen grapes are pressed, squeezing out the excess water, leaving a highly extracted liquid that is high in acidity and sugar.

The finished wine is like no other — super sweet but balanced by high acids, rich aromas of peach, apricot and sweet citrus, thick and viscous and usually low in alcohol. A variety of grapes are used in the making of icewines including riesling, vidal, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, cabernet franc, chardonnay, merlot and gamay. And new styles are coming to market such as sparkling icewines and Champagne-styled wines with a shot or two of icewine for added sizzle and flavour.

Icewine can be an attractive alternative to the celebratory Champagne or, as more and more chefs are discovering, a perfect match for an array of foods from savoury dishes to perfectly complementing a fruit-based dessert (Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser's definitive hard cover book Icewine has an entire chapter on food and icewine).

Here are some great icewines I've enjoyed recently. Note: all icewines are sold in 375 ml bottles and priced accordingly.

Mission Hill Riesling Reserve Riesling Icewine 2006 ($60)

This stunner won the International Wine Challenge trophy for the World's Top Icewine at a competition in Europe this fall. It's a beautiful wine with lemon tart and honey aromas. Then it explodes on the palate with an avalanche of honey-sweet citrus and peach to go brilliantly with mouth-watering acidity. A mouth-filling decadent dessert all by itself.

Reif Estate Vidal Icewine 2005 ($48)

A wonderful nose of honey-sweet tropical fruits, orange and citrus. The flavours are big on the palate with late-summer peach, apple, citrus and showing a touch of nuts and caramel. Plenty of acid zip despite being three years old. The taste lingers on the finish seemingly forever.

Inniskillin Vidal Commemorative Edition 2006 Icewine ($60)

This gorgeous wine was made to help celebrate the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a portion of the proceeds go to support Canadian athletes. It features the art of renowned Canadian artist Gorden Halloran. This Okanagan vidal icewine imparts highly extracted peach and sweet lemon, bordering on candied fruit, aromas. It fills the mouth but is refreshing to the taste with lemon, peach, mango and apricot compote. The taste lingers on the palate.

Inniskillin Riesling Icewine 2007 ($70)

Extraordinary effort here. A lemon-citrus and apricot bomb on the nose with a just subtle hint of lychee. It's both honey sweet and vibrant on the palate with succulent apricot and lemon flavours and racy acidity. Extremely rich and sweet but nicely balanced. A Niagara treat.

Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine 2006 ($70)

Peach and honey aromas to the extreme then a bubbly, sweet explosion on the palate. Wow! In the mouth look for wild honey, peach jam, tangerine, apricot and citrus to go with a silky texture and balancing acidity. A totally invigorating experience. Comes in a festive faux leather black box if purchasing this holiday season.