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 – 10C 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 stain of yeast and was fermented in new French Oak at an average temperature of 15C for 16 days. The wine was allowed to age an additional 3 months in oak before racking.

This Icewine from 2023 shows very good intensity and lots of layers leading into a generous amount of ripe fruit, aromatics of peach, mango, and orange peel. Flavours of apricot and citrus with hints of clove and a touch of spice make this a classic Niagara Peninsula Icewine.

We had a slower start to the winter season but with healthy grapes and minimal disease pressure Icewine grapes hung well into December and January. Cold temperatures started to come around in the start of January and starting to change the skins on the vines. We got -10C temperatures the third week of January where we were able to get all the Icewine grapes picked in a 5-day window. Quality was very high and optimal Brix were achieved through pressing and great color was observed in the red varieties. Overall, the v23 Icewines and they show great acidity, structure and flavor profiles at this early stage of their life cycles.

This Classic Icewine pairs well with brown butter lobster salad with baby arugula and hazel nutes finishing off with a lemon based desert or tart along with a fresh fruit based dessert.