Niagara holds ice wine close to its heart, and wine makers over the course of the last thirty years have been leaving their grapes to freeze naturally on the vine during the colder months, allowing them to create a prized liqueur for sipping with dessert, or sipping for dessert if you’re so inclined! As the grapes dehydrate, their juices become more concentrated resulting in a wine that is sweet and rich in flavours of tropical fruit. It can also be used to accent cocktails or paired with strong aged cheeses like blue cheese.
For some, it can be difficult to get out of the city and head to Niagara wine country. If you’re stuck in the city, but still want access to great wines, including dessert wines, check out WineOnline.ca — an online vendor that delivers Niagara’s best wines to your door. If you’re new to dessert wines, visit Wine Online and there you will find full flavour profiles for ten exceptional bottles made from both red and white grapes grown locally in Ontario. A favourite hailing from the Niagara region is the Icewine Red by Stratus Vineyards, vintage 2016. This is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cab Sauv, and Syrah grapes offering candied strawberry, raspberry and violets on the nose. This bottle is made from ripe grapes whose juices were slowly removed using a traditional wooden basket press to extract the most colour possible, then settled in stainless steel tanks. The juice for the ice wine was then fermented at cool temperatures for a short ageing periodbefore being settled, filtered, and bottled by gravity. This red complements berry-centred desserts, chocolate mousse, custard or crème brulee.
For an aromatic white try the popular Riesling Icewine VQA by Tawse Winery, vintage 2013. It boasts alluring aromas of orange blossom, spice and honeyed citrus followed by washes of white peach, peel marmalade and lemon curd on the palate. It’s textured and stylish with an excellent acidity and it compliments rich foods like foiegras, or desserts that have citrus, pineapple, or honey dew flavours in their profile.
If you’re looking for something classic, choose the Vidal Icewine VQA by Château Des Charmes, vintage 2015 – this selection has received 5 out of 5 stars from Winecurrent.com. This wine is also incredibly balanced offering marmalade, apricot and spun sugar on the nose, while on the palate tasters will notice grilled pineapple, blood orange and honeyed pit fruit. Furthermore, it also a lingering finish that persists and pairs beautifully with a variety of desserts namely peach cobbler, pineapple upside down cake or even a simple banana pudding. This wine is priced affordably for its quality and when ordered online you can have it delivered right to your door.
Finally, ice wines are only made in certain parts of the world, namely in Canada, Germany, France, Japan and some parts of the United States. Hence these bottles make for perfect gifts to bring with you when going abroad. Because the juice from the grapes is highly concentrated, this wine is sold in smaller bottles which can be convenient if you’re travelling. You can also surprise a friend by having a bottle delivered to their home for them. Whatever the occasion, cut through that sweet tooth and discover the potential these decadent sipping wines have to offer.