vineyard bird netting: In Time for the Holiday Parties, the Ice Wine Cometh

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.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 these 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, these wines are made when old man winter's icy grasp has literally frozen grapes still on the vine. Canada made its first this sweet dessert 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, apricot 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, these wines are 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 this sweet dessert wine in the U.S. in 1976 and now makes Ice Wines at this winery.Food PairingsIce 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 this wine, the following guidelines apply:- Do not pair with a dessert that is sweeter than this 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, Gruyere, aged Gouda and Blue cheese are all good matches.Bill's Wine PicksMary Michelle Vidal Blanc, Illinois - not rated
Selaks, New Zealand - 86 pts. Wine Spectator
Jackson-Triggs Vidal, Canada - 89 pts. Wine Spectator
Neige Apple Ice Wine, Canada - not rated
Nittnaus Grüner Veltliner, Austria - 94 pts. Wine Spectator
Inniskillin, Canada - Vidal & Riesling wines - 91 pts. Wine SpectatorWine of the Month:Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice WineThis 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!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 [EXTRACT] The holidays are here and so is the winter old. Although these ice conditions abroad, it would be fun to celebrate the holidays with a little ice on the inside - ice wine is. Let's explore this rich and delicious nectar.It ice wine is believed to have its beginning in Germany in 1794. German winemakers were already late harvest (sweet dessert) with wine, so this is a logical development. The grapes used to make these wines often have little or no botrytis (noble rot nickname, which concentrates the sugars in the grapes used to make German wines and late harvest dessert French Sauternes). These healthy grapes are left on the vine until frost depth first. When it freezes, the water in the grapes is frozen and can be pressed out, the concentration of the flavors and sugars of the grapes. The result is a dessert wine focused and intense, designed to be enjoyed in small portions. Before the first deep freeze, these grapes are super ripe and are an attractive food source for birds. Herds have been known to decimate vineyards in the late fall, so some wineries use the network on their grapes to protect these wines crops.Ice is Canada's claim to fame in the world of wine. In central Provence of Ontario through western British Columbia, these wines are made when you reach old winter frost has literally frozen grapes still on the vine. Canada made his first this sweet dessert wine in 1972 in British Columbia, but today, 75% of Canadian ice wines are produced in the Provence region of Ontario. Inniskillin Wineries quality and Jackson Triggs included. Besides Canada and Germany, Austria, USAand New Zealand recently also produce these sweet wines, ice magic elixirs.Canadian 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 low temperatures before harvest. The optimum temperature for harvest is 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sugar content reaches approximately 45%. These grapes are then hand-picked and crop yields can be understandably low. This makes the process difficult and increases the cost of these prized wines.The used two grape varieties are Riesling (known for its acidity and mineral notes) and Vidal (known by the flavors of honey, apricot and tangerine). Both varieties can cope with uneven process. After fermentation, the wine is barrel aged for months. Ice wine has a golden amber color, heady aromas of peach, apricot and mango. When a bottle of quality is first opened, they can actually aromas fill the air with the aroma of peaches and apricots around a table. Because they are rich and sweet, these wines are often enjoyed in small cordial glasses 2 oz. poured. When a wine becomes fashionable, variations generally follow. Ice wine is a sparkling variety of commercially produced Inniskillin Ontario. Neige ice cider is made in Quebec from fermentation and Spartan apples McIntosh has received accolades. Mary Michelle Winery in Carrollton, Illinois, calls for the hiring of winemaker who pioneered this sweet dessert wine in the U.S. in 1976 and now makes ice wines at this winery. Food Wine PairingsIce have a balanced acidity that is found in higher quality wines dessert. This is a good omen for pairings or enjoyment by itself. In pairing a dessert with this wine, the following guidelines apply: - No pair with a dessert that is sweeter than the wine-To cope with the sweetness of this wine, the cheese can be a wonderful role. The acidity of the wine helps cut through the richness of cheese and salty cheese helps balance the intense sweetness of ice wine. Asiago, Gruyere, Aged Gouda and blue cheese are all good games. Michelle Wine Vidal Blanc PicksMary Bill, Illinois - unsorted Selaks, New Zealand - 86 pts. Wine Spectator Jackson-Triggs Vidal, Canada - 89 pts. Wine Spectator Neige Apple Ice Wine, Canada - unsorted Nittnaus Grüner Veltliner, Austria - 94 pts. Wine Spectator Inniskillin, Canada - Riesling and Vidal wines - 91 pts. SpectatorWine Wine of the Month: Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice Wine Canadian Ice WineThis comes from the Niagara Peninsula. 2007 Reserve owners received a score of 89 points from Wine Spectator described this wine as "light, but still packs in the sweetness, along with the peel of apple, apricot jam and a touch of onion. Balanced, with a long finish. Drink now through 2018. " This wine is readily available, and that 8,000 cases were imported. Greetings As published in The Sun Naperville, The Beacon News, The Courier News and The Herald News - December 17, 2010 by BILL GARLOUGH for Sun Times Media