Recently updated on January 17th, 2020 at 10:29 pm
Canadian wines are probably not as popular as wines produced by their southern neighbours, but there is one type of wine Canadians do really well; it’s icewine.
Icewine is made from either Riesling or vidal grapes that have been left on the vines during the winter season after the regular harvest in the autumn. When the grapes are frozen, they are harvested and then pressed in their frozen state. At no point in the process can they be frozen artificially. The ice crystals are pressed out of the grapes, which leaves a very sweet juice which creates this equally sweet dessert wine. It usually has a very fruity flavour blended with hints of honey and nuts.
It is believed that icewine has been around for over 2000 years and was allegedly first made by the Romans. After that the Germans started harvesting frozen grapes and turning it into wine. The Canadian icewine didn’t hit the shops till 1978, but they sure caught up: Canada is now the largest icewine producer in the world.
It’s best served when it’s cold so leave it in the fridge for about two hours before serving or in an ice-bucket for about a quarter of an hour. Although it’s called a dessert wine, you can drink icewine on its own, but also before, during or after dinner. If you do pair it with food, it’s best to have it with savoury food. Or at least nothing that is sweeter than the wine itself otherwise it will mask the wine’s flavours. But most of all, just enjoy.
If you’d like to learn more about the making and origins of Canadian icewine, have a look at our Best of Eastern Canada trip which takes you to the Vineland Estates Winery, one of Canada’s award-winning vineyards where you will have the chance to taste their famous ice wine.