Ice wine is one of the few gifts of a frigid Canadian winter, and it’s finally back in season. Often served as a delicious dessert wine, the grapes are harvested on the coldest nights of the year, and are so delicate that each grape only creates a single drop of the velvety beverage.
The grapes, when frozen, concentrate the sugar, creating a very smooth, sweet wine. Served in small quantities because of its luxurious quality and rich taste, Canada is the world’s largest ice wine producer.
A typical bottle of ice wine can cost anywhere from $40 to $75 and beyond, and although each 375mL bottle holds only about 12 ounces, you have to keep in mind that ice wine is one of the most difficult and labour-intensive wines to produce. With each individual serving only being an ounce or two, you can easily serve a small dinner party with one or two bottles.
Tips and Tricks to Buying and Serving Ice Wine
Look for the VQA logo on Canadian bottles of ice wine. The Vintners Quality Alliance is a vigorous wine standards committee that ensures the production of the ice wine is tested for top quality.
Although the servings are about the size of a shot glass, never serve ice wine in one. Not only does it take away from the allure and class of the drink, it also doesn’t allow any headroom for the wine to breathe and the consumer to enjoy the complex aromas of the drink. We recommend serving in either champagne flute or slender wine glasses, if you don’t have any made specifically for ice wine.
Be sure to chill your ice wine. Simple refrigeration for two to four hours before serving optimizes the texture and taste of the wine.
Finally, pair the ice wine consciously. Simple, understated desserts that compliment the sweetness of the wine include fruits, dark chocolate or crème brulee. Ice wine is also commonly paired with cheeses that are salty, fatty and pungent, such as Roquefort and blue cheese to highlight the sweet acidity of the wine.
Popular Canadian Brands
Cave Springs Riesling
Complex hints blending raisins, lemon zest, honey, poached pear and spiced apple, Cave Springs boasts its seemless flavours and most concentrated and balanced ice wines to date.
Inniskillin Vidal
Strong flavours including mango, peach and lychee, Inniskillin claims a great balance of tropical tastes and frigid extremes of the icy Canadian winterscape.
Mission Hill Reserve
Intricate flavours of citrus, green apple, guava, apricot preserves, honeysuckle and praline cream, Mission Hill ice wines are considered to be a delicacy, and are only produced once every few years.