Though Icewine's roots can be traced to centuries-old German winemakers, there is nothing more quintessentially Canadian than this luscious luxury borne of patience and subzero bravura. Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months to concentrate and intensify the flavors, as water content freezes, thaws and dehydrates in each precious Icewine grape. Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake at the historic Brae Burn Estate, Inniskillin has been producing world-renowned Icewines from grapes grown in the Niagara Peninsula since 1984.

Vidal is a hybrid (Ugni Blanc and Seibel) that has a thick skin suitable for harvesting late in the season. It is the grape grown most for Icewine in Ontario. Its natural acidity gives great structure to the lusciousness of its tropical aromas and flavors of mango and lychee.

With the temperature dropping to -10°C the Vidal grapes grown in the Niagara Peninsula were picked and pressed immediately upon arrival at the winery. The viscous juice was allowed to cold settle for 3 days after which time it was racked clean and inoculated with a specific strain of yeast and was fermented in new French oak at an average temperature of 15°C for 16 days. The wine was allowed to age an additional 3 months in oak before racking.

Generous amounts of ripe fruit give aromatics of peach, mango, and orange. Flavors of apricot and citrus with hints of clove and a touch of vanilla make this a classic Niagara Peninsula Icewine.

With the early onset of below seasonal temperatures, many Niagara wineries took advantage of harvesting Icewine grapes on November 12th, the earliest date recorded by VQA Ontario. The team at Inniskillin opted for more ideal conditions and began harvest on December 18th, when the bulk of the grapes were picked. Harvest wrapped up on February 9th, 2020.

Always good with the traditional crème brule and crème caramel; try tropical fruit compote, roasted peaches or pineapple with panacotta; cheeses from fresh chèvre to parmesan with a dribbling of honey; brown butter lobster salad with baby arugala and hazelnuts.