Pioneer Pt-r9
In Time for the Holiday Parties, the Ice Wine Cometh…
As published in The Naperville Sun, The Beacon News, The Courier News and The Herald News – December 17, 2010 By BILL GARLOUGH for Sun Times Media
The Holidays are here and so is old man winter. While we are dealing with icy conditions on the outside, it would be fun to celebrate the Holidays with some ice on the inside – Ice Wine that is. Let’s explore this rich and luscious nectar.
Ice Wine
It is believed Ice Wine got its start in Germany in 1794. German winemakers were already making late harvest (sweet dessert) wine, so this is a logical development. Grapes used to make Ice Wines typically have little or no botrytis (nicknamed noble rot, that concentrates sugars in grapes, used to make German Late Harvest dessert wines and French Sauternes). These healthy grapes are left on the vine until the first deep frost. When frozen, the water inside the grape freezes and can be pressed out, concentrating the flavors and sugars of these grapes. The result is a concentrated and intense dessert wine, intended to be enjoyed in small portions.
Before the first deep frost, these grapes are super ripe and are an attractive source of food for birds. Flocks have been known to decimate vineyards in the late Fall, so some wineries use netting over their grapes to protect these crops.
Ice Wine is Canada’s claim to fame in the wine world. From the central Provence of Ontario through western British Columbia, Ice Wines are made when old man winter’s icy grasp has literally frozen grapes still on the vine. Canada made its first Ice Wine in 1972 in British Columbia, but today, 75% of Canadian Ice Wines are produced in the Ontario Provence. Quality wineries include Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs. Besides Canada and Germany, Austria, the U.S. and recently New Zealand also produce these sweet, magical elixirs.
Canadian Ice Wine is governed by the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA), to ensure uniform product quality. A key issue is that these grapes must freeze naturally on the vine, and not be harvested and then frozen. The challenge is to allow the grapes to freeze, but not to reach extremely cold temperatures before harvesting. The optimal temperature for harvesting is 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sugar content reaches approximately 45%. These grapes are then picked by hand and crop yields can be understandably low. This makes the process difficult and adds to the cost of these highly prized wines.
The two commonly used grape varietals are Riesling (known for its acidity and mineral notes) and Vidal (known for flavors of honey, apricot and tangerine). Both varietals can stand up to this rugged process. After fermentation, the wine is barrel aged for months. Ice Wine has a golden amber color with intoxicating aromas of peach and mango. When a quality bottle is first opened, these aromas can actually fill the air with the aromas of peaches and apricots around a table. Given its rich, sweet character, Ice Wine is usually enjoyed in small cordial glasses with 2 oz. pours.
When a wine becomes trendy, variations will generally follow. Ice Wine has a sparkling variety first commercially produced by Ontario’s Inniskillin. Neige is an Ice Cider made in Quebec from fermented McIntosh and Spartan apples that has received accolades. Mary Michelle winery in Carrollton, Illinois, lays claim to employing the winemaker that pioneered Ice Wine in the U.S. in 1976 and now makes Ice Wines at this winery.
Food Pairings
Ice Wines have a balanced acidity that is found in higher quality dessert wines. This bodes well for food pairings or enjoyment by itself. In pairing a dessert with Ice Wines, the following guidelines apply:
- Do not pair with a dessert that is sweeter than the Ice Wine
- To counter this wine’s sweetness, cheese can be a wonderful foil. The wine’s acidity helps cut through the richness of cheese and cheese’s saltiness helps balance the intense sweetness of Ice Wines. Asiago, Gruyère, aged Gouda and Blue cheese are all good matches.
Bill’s Ice Wine Picks
Mary Michelle Vidal Blanc, Illinois – not rated
Selaks Ice Wine, New Zealand – 86 pts. Wine Spectator
Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice Wine, Canada – 89 pts. Wine Spectator
Neige Apple Ice Wine, Canada – not rated
Nittnaus Grüner Veltliner Ice Wine, Austria – 94 pts. Wine Spectator
Inniskillin, Canada – Vidal & Riesling Ice Wines – 91 pts. Wine Spectator
Wine of the Month:
Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice Wine
This Canadian Ice Wine hails from the Niagara Peninsula. The 2007 Proprietors’ Reserve received a 89 pt rating from the Wine Spectator and describes this wine as “Light-weight though still packs in the sweetness, along with apple skin, apricot, marmalade and a hint of onion. Balanced, with a lingering finish. Drink now through 2018″. This wine is readily available, as 8,000 cases were imported. Cheers!
Bill Garlough is the founder and owner of My Chef Catering in Naperville, the winner of the 2007 U.S. Chamber’s national Small Business of the Year. Bill is a level 1 master sommelier and pairs food and wine for My Chef’s customers. He can be contacted at www.mychef.com.
About the Author
- My Chef Catering May 1988 – Present Founder/President Naperville, Illinois With my wife, founded My Chef Catering in Naperville in 1989. Initially a gourmet deli and catering business, the business evolved into one of the largest full-service catering companies in the western suburbs.
We are very community minded and donate up to 2% of annual sales to charity. Karen and I Chair several of the larger fundraisers in the area, to help people in need.
We have been very blessed to receive community recognition for our involvement, including the Naperville’s and Aurora’s Overall SBYA and the 2007 U.S. Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award.
- I have been a wine enthusiast for over 25 years and passed the Level 1 Master Sommelier course in 2004. I pair food and wine for My Chef Catering’s customers.
- I have been a very active member of The Rotary Club of Naperville for the past 18 years. My Chef Catering provided the food for Naperville’s annual Oktoberfest and we currently Chair Soup’s On!, a fundraiser to benefit 3 local food pantries and shelters. I was the Rotary club President in 2008-2009.
I have just become a member of the Board of Directors for Lovaes & Fishes in Naperville. This will allow me to share my food knowledge and contacts with this essential organization.
Prior to this, I was a Brand Manager for several Fortune 100 food companies, including Borden Foods and Jacobs Suchard Swiss chocolate and coffee company.
College
- Boston University Arts and Sciences Philosophy Business
High School
- Boardman High School ’70
- Pearl River High School ’70
