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Niagara Icewine

By Hrayr Berberoglu


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The discovery of icewine, or eiswein, in 1794 in Franconia, Germany was accidental, like many other gastronomic delights. In that year a freak cold spell froze vineyards prior to harvest and, to avert ruin, winemakers tried to press juice from the frozen grapes. They were ecstatic and surprised when the wine was ready.

It was not until the middle of the last century in the Rheingau, Germany, that wine growers made conscious efforts to produce icewine on a consistent basis and in commercially viable quantities. They quickly discovered that it was impossible to produce icewine every year. For the production of icewine, the vineyards need to freeze for several days to ensure the berries remain frozen during picking and pressing. If the grapes thaw at any point during the harvest, the sugary juice is diluted and the wines ruined. The winter climate of Germany simply did not afford an annual icewine harvest. It was a gift of the nature and occurred rarely, every three or four years on the average.

Canada's Niagara Peninsula in Ontario is an ideal location for the production of icewine. Niagara's winters are much harsher than those of Germany, but this area's growing season enjoys a higher number of sunshine hours, peak temperatures during the vine's most active vegetative growth in July, and temperature fluctuations during autumn. These climatic conditions produce grapes with higher sugar levels than in Germany.

Icewine is produced from ripe grapes left on the vine well past the regular harvest and into the winter. When subzero temperatures start freezing the grapes, most of the water turns solid, leaving the sweet, fructose-laden and flavourful centre concentrated with aromas. For this phenomenon to occur, the temperature must be - 8C for at least 24 hours. Meanwhile ravenous birds attack these sweet "nuggets " as do hungry bears. If the vines are left unprotected, the whole crop may be lost in a matter of minutes. Nowadays, most if not all growers, net the rows of vines to minimize losses.

Icewine grapes must be picked at freezing temperatures, - 8C, before sunrise, and basket-pressed immediately to ensure satisfactory results.

The fermentation is slow due to extremely high sugar levels. The fruit must be picked at a minimum of 35 Brix; requires specially cultivated yeasts; and must be monitored constantly to ensure acceptable quality.

For icewine, most Ontario winemakers prefer Vidal, due to its thick skin and resistance to cracking in subzero temperatures. The thin-skinned Riesling yields far superior results but is prone to cracking and ripens much later than Vidal. Now, Niagara wineries specializing in icewine also use Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Merlot, and Kerner. One in particular, Royal de Maria, produces only icewine.

Approximately one kilogram of grapes, the yield of a well pruned vine, is needed to produce one bottle of dry wine, but the juice of the same quantity of fruit yields only 200ml of icewine. True icewine has always been expensive and will remain so in the foreseeable future.

The unctuous juice is allowed to settle for three to four days. It is clarified and then slowly fermented using specially cultivated yeasts. By nature, icewine is sweet, but when well made, this nectar smells of dried fruits, apricots and honey, and finishes with a long, refreshing aftertaste.

A well-made icewine is always pleasantly sweet, never cloying. If the must ferments in stainless steel tanks the wine possesses a more fruity character as opposed to those barrel-fermented and ageing that induce more dried fruit aromas.

In Canada Walter Hainle, a German immigrant and vigneron in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley was the first to produce an icewine in 1973 similar to those he remembered tasting in his youth.

Soon J. Pohorly, the founder of Newark Winery, which is now Hillebrand, and Karl Kaiser, the co-founder and winemaker of Inniskillin, started experimenting successfully with fruit available to them.

Sparkling icewine, an invention of Ontario-based Magnotta Winery, enjoys a unique texture profile combining sweetness fruitiness and effervescence, rendering it light.

Many prestigious international and domestic gold medals have been awarded to Niagara wineries for their outstanding icewines. In the last few years, British Columbia wineries have also been able to win prestigious international awards.

Pacific Rim countries proved to be excellent and appreciative markets for this exquisite and refined wine, mainly due to the efforts of Donald Ziraldo the other co-founder of Inniskillin.

In 2001 the Canadian government was able to sign an agreement with the EU opening a huge potential market. To date results are inconclusive, but the future looks bright.

Icewine can be cellared for a number of years depending on vintage quality. It should be consumed cold, 6C, and ideally on its own. Those who like desserts can pair icewine with fruit based desserts.

A specially designed icewine glass, Vinum Extreme, by Riedel glass manufacturing of Austria, enhances both the appreciation of aromatic components and taste significantly.

Icewine is truly a nectar of the gods and should be appreciated by all who enjoy the finer things of life.


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