
Grape Expectations: Book IV

A day without wine is like a day without sunshine! So let’s dispel the recent cloudiness with a glass of liquid sunshine, eh?  Icewine—the wine that made Ontario famous—has been described as “the nectar of the gods.” It is made primarily from over-ripened Vidal and Riesling grapes, which are intentionally bypassed during harvest season and left to freeze on the vine in the cold Canadian winter. The fruit gradually dehydrates and shrivels up, yielding extremely sweet grapes with twice the normal sugar concentration. When harvested in the dead of winter and run through a wine press, the precious juice is left behind in the form of ice crystals, hence the name.
Icewine originated in Europe, but the geography of Ontario is particularly suitable. As long as the winter is cold and the birds fly south (so that they don’t peck at the grapes left on the vine), an icewine vintage is virtually assured. As the ultimate sweet wine, icewine is at the far end of the dessert wine continuum.  Such delectability does not come cheaply—icewines tend to be much more expensive than table wines. But in order of increasing price, these icewines get the nod: Ancient Coast 1997 Vidal Icewine ($29.95), Jackson-Triggs 1997 Icewine ($39.99), and the granddaddy of them all (the wine that put Ontario on the map by capturing the Grand Prix in Bordeaux in 1991), Inniskillen’s 1999 Cabernet Franc Icewine ($89.95). Be warned—a little goes a long way.
WOW would like to gratefully acknowledge the help of David Sherwood, the manager of the Wine-Rack at 77 Wellesley Street East, in supplying background and recommendations for this column. Drop in to say hello, and bring back a bottle or two!

— John M. Linebarger and Scott M. Pike