What is Canadian ice wine?

Icewine – or 'Eiswein' – is a type of sweet wine, originally made in Germany and Austria, but also more recently in Canada and China. The grapes are left on the vine into the winter, and eventually the water in the grapes will freeze.

What is special about ice wine?

Ice Wine is designed to be a very fruity tasting wine to go along with the high sugar and high acidity. It varies in alcohol content, but usually hovers around 10% alcohol, which is typically a little less than traditional table wine, although some sweeter wines can come in at alcohol levels around 6%.

What is the ice wine in Canada?

At Peller Estates, dessert wine IS Icewine, a coveted liquid produced from the juice of naturally frozen grapes that have been hand-picked at night in the middle of the cold Canadian winter when the thermometre dips below -10ºC. Once picked, the grapes are pressed immediately while still frozen.

Is ice wine a Canadian thing?

Ice wine was first produced in Canada in 1972 in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. However, it was first produced for commercial purposes in Ontario's Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region in 1984. Since then, Ontario has been the undisputed global leader in ice wine production.

Is ice wine real wine?

​"Ice wine (or icewine; German: Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape juice to develop.

All About Ice Wines

What does Canadian ice wine taste like?

What Does Ice Wine Taste Like? As mentioned, ice wine is very sweet. It can come in a variety of flavours, like fruit flavours and chocolate flavour. This makes it great to sip while enjoying dessert.

Why ice wine is expensive?

The volume of liquid that remains crystalizes in the deep freeze, intensely concentrating the sugars and acids, which is what makes Ice Wine alluring in the glass. But less liquid volume per ton of grapes means higher prices.

Is ice wine available in the US?

The grapes used to make ice wine are harvested frozen on the vine, so it is not allowed to be labeled ice wine if the grapes are commercially frozen in Canada, Germany, Austria, and the United States.

Does ice wine get you drunk?

You should, because despite the misleading title, true ice wines are truly not meant to be “drunk”. They are meant to be smelled like perfume and tasted as concentrated fruit flavor. Ice wine is one of the hardest wines to produce, the pinnacle of late harvest wines.

What is the best ice wine in Canada?

The best Canadian sweet wines from the IWSC 2021

• Peller Estates Winery, Andrew Peller Signature Series Riesling Icewine 2019. ...
• Inniskillin Niagara, Cabernet Franc Icewine 2019. ...
• Wayne Gretzky Estates, No.99 Vidal Icewine 2019. ...
• Inniskillin Niagara, Riesling Icewine 2019. ...
• Inniskillin Niagara, Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2019.

How do you drink Canadian ice wine?

Best Enjoyed: On its own after a meal (think of it as dessert in a glass). The rule is to serve this rich, sweet wine with a dessert that is a bit lighter and less sweet, or with something savoury and full-flavoured for balance. Serving it with a too-rich or too-sweet dessert doesn't allow you to enjoy its merits.

Is ice wine good for your health?

Highlights. Ice wine usually has slightly lower alcohol content than regular table wine. Some Riesling ice wines from Germany have alcohol content as low as 6%. Drinking ice wine can lower blood pressure, have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of myocardial infarction.

Is ice wine a good gift?

While small bottles of the lusciously sweet wine are frequently given as gifts, in my experience those presents are rarely served and enjoyed. Common complaints suggest ice wine is too sweet and too expensive. As a result, it risks becoming the vinous equivalent of fruitcake.

Is ice wine sweet or dry?

Ice wine is a very sweet dessert wine, produced from grapes that have been left on the vine to freeze and are then harvested during the winter months.

How do you drink ice wine?

How to Drink Icewine | 5 Easy Steps

1. When sipping, avoid icewine contact with the tip of your tongue.
2. Take bigger sips.
3. Incorporate air and swish the icewine around your mouth.
4. Let the sip linger on your palate.
5. Let your palate rest.

How is ice wine different?

Ice wine is traditionally made using grapes that are frozen while they're still on the vine. When the grape freezes, the water in the grape freezes as well. Since the sugars and other dissolved solids don't freeze, when the frozen grapes are pressed you're left with a much more concentrated, sweeter wine.

How is ice wine best served?

Serve it cool: Ice wine is best served cool, but not cold (about 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit), to reap the most from the flavors. Small flutes or wine glasses are perfect; since the bottles are usually small and pricey, it also avoids anyone bogarting the whole bottle.

What should ice wine taste like?

Ice wine is a sweet wine with high sugar levels. It contains strong notes of citrus, honey, stone fruit (such as peach and dried apricot), and tropical fruit. White ice wine retains the freshness of its base grape. Whereas red ice wine has fruit flavors like strawberry and some light spice.

What can you mix ice wine with?

Pour VQA Icewine, vodka, Grand Marnier, cranberry and lime juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a citrus peel. Pour VQA Icewine, vodka and lemon juice over ice in a cocktail mixer or shaker.

What states make ice wine?

Germany and Canada are the leading producers of traditional ice wines, but Austria, Switzerland and the United States, particularly Michigan and the Finger Lakes region of New York, also produce offerings.

Which countries make ice wine?

The most famous (and expensive) ice wines are German Eiswein, but ice wine is also made in European countries such as Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland at least in smaller ...

Is Riesling a ice wine?

Riesling is a classic vinifera grape variety suitable for Icewine. It's tropical and citrus aromas and flavours offer an elegance that are defined by its natural high acidity.

How long does ice wine last unopened?

"Under perfect conditions, ice wine can last for years,'' says Magdalena Kaiser-Smit, public relations director for the Wine Council of Ontario, a non-profit trade organization representing the province's wineries. "Some ice wines can last for 20 to 30 years."

Why is ice wine in skinny bottles?

Intense and often pricey ice wines are usually bottled in tall, thin vessels that hold half the volume of a typical wine bottle. The slim shape provides a little elegance at the end of a meal and the lower volume is consistent with the smaller glasses in which dessert and ice wines are typically enjoyed.

Is ice wine and dessert wine the same?

Ice wine is a dessert wine through and through — it has some of the highest sugar levels of any wine on the planet. To create a balanced wine, ice wine grapes are chosen for their naturally high acidity and fragrant nature.