It's Ice Wine Season in Niagara (but we should drink it all year round)
It’s Ice Wine Season in Niagara (but we should drink it all year round)
It’s Ice Wine season here in Southwest Ontario! While our other delicious varieties of Canadian wines are gaining popularity, for generations our Ice Wine has been appreciated worldwide. However, for those who are not acquainted with this amazing dessert wine we would like to offer a brief history of the product, upcoming events to celebrate the “season,” where to buy it, and how you can enjoy Ice Wine year round.
According to Adam Teeter of Vinepair, Ice Wine was first discovered by German farmers in 1830. Seeking to feed their animals through what they predicted was going to be an extremely cold winter, they left some of their grapes on the vine to freeze and be used later. However, a forward-thinking wine connoisseur in the group decided to pick and press the fruit early and discovered the extremely sweet juice that came from the frozen grapes. After they allowed it to ferment a new dessert wine came to life. Today, Ontario, due to its “perfect climate,” has overtaken Germany as the world’s number one producer of Ice Wine (the optional temperature rage for picking is -10 to -13 degrees Celsius). You can learn more about the history of Ice Wine and how it is produced here.
In honor of our place as the “Ice Wine Capital of the Word” the Niagara region holds an annual Ice Wine Gala each year. The 2020 event is on January 10. Yet, if you can’t attend the opening you can explore the numerous wineries that produce Ice Wine by purchasing an “Ice Wine Discovery Pass” for the weekends of January 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26. In addition, Niagara-On-The-Lake is hosting an Ice Wine festival the weekends of January 17-19 and 24-26. We are pleased that several of our clients will be represented including Hernder Estate Winery, Konzelman, and Megalomaniac. If you are interested in learning more about these events, please click here. If you can’t make it to the event, please contact us about our Ice Wine options.
To conclude, though usually thought of as a winter drink, Ice Wine can be served year around. While normally served as an after-dinner option in one to two-ounce portions, there are numerous ways you can enjoy the Ice Wine you purchase at the festival (or from InSpiirit). In her article for Modern Mississauga, Laura Vertucci, offers three great Ice Wine cocktail recipes that can be enjoyed as the weather gets warmer. You can find the article here.