Icewine is a rare gift from the magical Canadian winters. Picked at the coldest moment of a winter's night! Each frozen grape creates just one drop of of Icewine. One smooth luxurious drop!
In their book Icewine Extreme Winemaking Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser refer to making icewine in Canada as extreme winemaking. The story of this remarkable wine began in Germany (Eiswein) but today it is very apparent that Canada and Icewine are synonymous with each other. The regions of Canada most famous for its Icewine the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario and the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
Here is where you find the conditions, that must be perfect, to produce the liquid gold know as Icewine. Their unique Climate allows for conditions that ripen the grapes in the summer and freezes them in the extreme winter cold. The unique climate helps maintain high acids in the fruit, necessary for successfully making icewine each year.
Canada is the world's leading exporter of icewine. There are several Wineries in Canada that only produce Icewine for exporting purposes
China and Japan are the leading importers of Icewine. Canadian Icewine is also popular in Europe.
The United States Produces some icewine but there is also a demand for Canada's golden liquid.
The production of icewine requires ten times the grapes to produce the same amount of wine. Icewine is expensive and produced under the stickiest standards
Icewine produced in Canada is required to meet the standard, as determined by a provincial authority that has verified that the product is wine that was made exclusively from grapes naturally frozen on the vine. Four of Canada’s wine producing provinces – Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia – have already established acceptable provincial regimes, which meet the new federal standard and follow international protocols.
Icewine has an extravagant sweetness and intensity. Its magical balance of acidity and sweetness gives it a texture that is surprisingly elegant and sets it apart from other dessert wines. This balance of perfect ripe fruit flavours and aromas with acidity for depth and complexity makes Icewine the least coying of all dessert wines and more likely to marry well with a wider variety of foods.
Icewines made from Vidal are noted for their affinity with honey's flavours. In addition to aromas of tangerine, apricot and pineapple, when Vidal is aged in oak it takes on rich overtones of vanilla, almonds and fresh baked bread. Vidal Icewine works beautifully in a glaze for caramelized grilled pork roast or as an accompaniment to fresh summer berries with cream, chocolate biscuits, a pear tart or a raspberry mousse.
Riesling based Icewine is renowned for its acidity and mineral notes. Its vivid orange and citrus tones will combine with a rich range of creamy and decadent food textures and tastes, from foie gras to crème brulée.
The crimson Icewine crafted from Cabernet Franc yields up the classic aromatics of baked strawberry and rhubarb pie. This wine shines when teamed up with cooked or baked fruit courses featuring cherries or wild strawberries with crème fraîche. Its spicy exotic quality is underlined when contrasted to foods with hazelnut and dark chocolate.
Cheese
Icewines are magnificent with cheese, especially blue cheese such as Roquefort and Gorgonzola, hard and aged cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged Gruyere and some sheep's cheese such as Pecorino.
Milder cheeses simply fade away against the dominant Icewine flavours. Foods made with Cheese such as Sweet Chevre Scoffle with peace sauce or authentic savoury cheesecake can find no better partner than Icewine .
The major difference between Icewine and other dessert wines is acidity. While all dessert wines are sweet, only the best ones have balanced acidity as well. This crucial element not only adds to the enjoyment of Icewine, but also to its natural compatibility with cheese.
Most of the cheese universe pairs brilliantly with Icewine because each cheese's richness begs for that crucial acidity. Cheeses are inherently savory and sometimes salty and when prepared with the honeyed sweetness of Icewine, it creates a lovely balance that makes for a perfect match. - Laura Werlin.
Cheese Types and the righ wine
Cheese is an ideal companion to icewine, so long as you use cheeses with strong flavor. Milder cheeses tend to disappear in the presence of icewine’s sweetness and complex acidity, which is why you can always choose blue cheeses like Roquefort or Gorgonzola. If you don’t like blue cheese, hard, aged cheeses also work well. Go for a Parmigiano Reggiano or a very aged Sharp Cheddar.
Salty hors d'oeuvres -• Toasted salty nuts • Anchovy crackers • Antipasto plate • Black olive tapenade
Rich Dishes -• Foie Gras • Lobster Terrine • Pâté • Chicken Liver Parfait • Tripe • Duck or Goose with oranges and peaches
The full-bodied Icewine matches the full flavour of the dish and the high level of acidity cleanses the palate and readies it for more richness.
Spicy Cuisine - Thai and Asian Foods
Dessert - Vidal Icewine complements fruits such as peach, banana, cantaloupe, apricot, pear, apple, pineapple, mango and papaya. • Riesling Icewine complements citrus, pineapple, apple, honeydew melon, kiwi, quince and star fruit.
.• Cabernet Franc Icewine complements strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, rhubarb and Saskatoon berry.
• Fruits that are poached, baked or caramelized • Fruit flans, cobblers, pies, strudels and tarts
• Cabernet Franc Icewine complements dark chocolate
Resources:
Laura Werlin
Inniskillin Winery
Icewine Extreme Winemaking- Donal Ziraldo an Karl Kaiser -Key Potter Books
Peller Estates
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