What in the World is Ice Wine
Ice wine is a sweet dessert wine with a medium to full body.It has been referred to as a Summer time nectar. Those who have been lucky enough to taste ice wine say that it has tropical overtones and bouquet. It also tends to have a somewhat lower alcohol content than other table wines. The sweetness of the ice wine is balanced by higher acidic levels which keep it from being overwelmingly sweet. These wines are decadent and used for a very exceptional occasion.
Many people use ice wine as a dessert, they go so far as to drizzle it over raspberries and pound cake and then add a smidgen of whipped cream. I have been told that some people drizzle it over their choice fruit such as cantalope. Be prepared though, some people say Ice wine is so sweet that they only have a petite glass of it as an after dinner dessert, it is just too sweet to mix it with chocolate, It depends on how much remaining sugar the wine has. In researching this, I have found the residual sugar content to be anywhere from 3 to 12%. 12% being almost unbearably sweet. Ice wine can be quite syrupy as the water has frozen in the grapes and the juice pressed from the grapes is very concentrated in both flavor and sugar, It very much depends on the origin of the ice-wine.Ice wine from Germany can be very acidic, Canadian ice wine can be very rich.By law, in some countries, the requirement is a hard freeze for a wine to be named Ice Wine. In Germany -7C (19F) and in Canada that is -8C (17F).
Ice wine is also known to be used in cooking, it is an ingredient used in desserts or even in a recipe for making French toast.
Vidal Ice wine:-This shimmery golden yellow wine has a compelling aroma of lemon marmalade, caramelized oranges, peaches, pineapple and a touch of honey. The taste of this incredible Vidal ice wine carries a powerful flavor of honey, lemon, star fruit, quince and brown sugar and end with a crisp mouth feel. The highest quality Vidal Blanc Icewine makes an excellent combination with high fat or spicy foods.
Ice wine is created in small quantities only and only the best of quality, so it is understandable that it would be quite expensive. Ice wine can range anywhere from 50 dollars on up to around 100 dollars a pop.Getting the real thing in Germany costs roughly $80
The folklore of Ice wine suggests that its initial production in 18th century Germany was accidental. A German vineyard owner away from his vineyard on business at harvest time came home to a frozen vineyard. He harvested and processed the grapes anyway and what was called Winter Wine back then, became the exclusive ice wine today. What a wonderful accident.
