“Vidal is one of the northeast's most popular hybrid grapes. It’s quite hardy in the winter months, which is why it also thrives on the Niagara peninsula just over the New York border in Canada. Inniskillin was the first estate winery founded in Canada post-prohibition in 1975. This ice wine from their revered grape is not only delicious but bubbly! It’s bright and inviting with ripe fruit on the nose and hints of white pepper. The sweetness on the palate is balanced by lively bubbles that rise through the viscosity.”

“Spine-tingling acidity and a creamy, viscous texture make for a heck of a nice combination. This wine has aromas of yellow apple, pear tart, butterscotch and treacle. Frisky little bubbles attempt to emerge from thick flavors of lychee and pear gelato, with a touch of cinnamon.”

“This is a glorious icewine where acidity and sugar are in perfect harmony. The candied orange peel, ginger, straw and toasted walnut and straw are a mere preview of what's to come. These intense flavors of apricot jam, pumpkin pie and lemon drops are matched by electric acidity. Enjoy now until 2035.”

“Inniskillin is a pioneering winery. As the first winery in Canada to be granted a license after prohibition, they wowed the French in the 1990s with their Vidal Icewine and continue to wow us today with their Niagara Peninsula Riesling Icewine. Bright notes of caramelized pear on the nose are balanced by a refreshing minerality, followed by a clean and focused palate with just the right amount of viscosity lingering beneath bracing natural acidity. This might just be the most refreshing icewine out there.”

“The 2021 Riesling Ice Wine is unoaked and comes in with 219 grams of residual sugar, 10.2 of total acidity and 9.5% alcohol. This is from a year that the winery calls "one of the most challenging harvests on record," due to rainfall around harvest time by table wine standards. The Riesling harvest was a couple of months later, in early January 2022. A strict selection caused lower quantities to be produced, although the winery says with "high quality." Indeed, this seems fresh and lively, with a surprisingly perky feel and a juicy finish. It's on the elegant side this year, not necessarily a bad thing, but it still tastes great. It has the freshness to allow it to age well, so there is no rush. I loved the tangy finish. If you must drink it young, you'll get waves of peaches and apricots (leaning more to peach this year), and it will taste great. A few years of age will allow it to develop some character, though.”