The Nectar of the Gods

Though the beginning of Icewines can be traced to centuries old German winemakers, there is nothing more quintessentially Canadian than this luscious luxury of patience and sub zero bravura. Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months to concentrate and intensify the flavors. This also allows the water content to freeze, thaw, and dehydrate in each precious Icewine grape.

 Ideally suited to the Canadian winter season in both the Niagra Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley, the magical process of crafting Icewine is guided and nature-triggered by the snap of the wintery elements. The harvest can’t begin until temperatures drop below minus eight degrees Celcius for a sustained period of time. There are rigorous specifications regulating the making of Icewine set out by Canada’s quality control board, the VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance). Arificial freezing of the grape is strictly prohibited.

It's a beautiful day for picking grapes in Canada!

Once the extreme temperatures are achieved, Icewine pickers arrive – often in the dead of night – to harvest the frozen clusters. The precious grapes are immediately pressed in the extreme cold to extract the luscious nectar. In this process, the water content in each grape remains frozen in crystals, leaving only a few coveted drops of concentrated, intense liquid. Icewine yields are a mere 10-15 % of an average table wine harvest. Slowly fermented over the coming months, this delicate nectar will eventualy become Icewine.

The finished Icewine is intense, sweet and sumptuous, yet balanced with brilliant acidity, creating a unique sensation on the palate. Renowned for fruit flavours ranging from mango to peach to lychees, Icewine is truly a natural wonder and extreme winemaking at it’s best, yeilding the impressions of tropical tastes wrought from the frigid extremes of the icy Canadian winterscape.

Selection Speciale Riesling Icewine

I have tasted Icewines from around the world, the real ones as well as the artificial ones. To me, making an Icewine from a kit was unthinkable – that is until I tasted the Icewine made from the 11.5L Selection Icewine kit. The quality is extremely close to that of commercial Icewines.

I refer to Icewines as the nectar of the Gods.

‘King’ Roger

Wine Sense- Pembina Highway

Filed under: Wine by Craig