[mesquite27]

Is anyone familiar with ice wines? From what I've read they are very similar to late harvest wines, i.e. concentrated sweet wines. This wine would probably taste good drizzled over angel food or pound cake, yes?

[mirepoix man]

serve it well chilled...and please don't drizzle it over cake!!

[kokopuffs]

What's required is sending me a bottle so that I can taste test it. Then I'l let you know if it's drinkable!

But seriously, TBA's are fine wines. Take your time to enjoy them. The ones that I've tasted weren't quit as sweet as Sauternes but they possessed their own quality of sweetness.

[shroomgirl]

Many are great with Foie!!! Mo has an ice wine that is incredible.

[Pete]

A few wineries in the Niagara Falls area are producing some great Ice Wines.

[cape chef]

I must say I agree with Mira-poix man.
Please do not drizzel and Eiswein over anything except your toungue.
These are truly some of the most fascinating of all the deesert wines produced in the world.

Not a true Trocken or Beerenaulesen because it is not made with the “Noble-Rot”

Picking grapes that have frozen on the vine and then pressing them before they thaw makes Eiswein.
Because much of the water in the grapes is frozen, the resulting juice is very concentrated-rich in flavor and high in sugar and acid.

The resulting wines, although different from Germanys famous TBA and BA’s, are similar because they are extraordinarily sweet.
Yet the balanced by high acidity.

Eiswien are canidates for long aging.
In 1982, Eiswein become one of the six subcategories of “Qualitatswein Mit Pradikat”.

In order to qualify, a wine’s (MUST) needs to reach the minimun natural sugar levels of BA category wines-110 to 128 Oechsle (approximately 26 to 30 % sugar by weight).

Many Eisweins in the states are made by picking the grapes and then freezing them afterwords to produce this (style) of wine.

I hope this helps a little
BTW, Be prepared to pay a big chunk of change if you come across the real deal.
cc

[mirepoix man]

some of the best ice wines in the world are from Ontario. The grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine before picking. A good 1/2 bottle will run you at least $50 CDN...but well worth it. Best known name is Inniskilin, although there are several others of exceptional quality. I don't mind my ice wine with a good tarte tatin!!


Enjoy!!

[kokopuffs]

Thanks, CC, for differentiating between Eiswine and BA's/TBA's.

[jbigs]

If you buy a nice ice wine it will cost you and i dont have that kind of money so i wouldnt use it dripped on some fruit. i think it would be better off enjoyed with dessert, perhaps a nice cheese cake.

[chefteldanielle]

I just had the opportunity to go skiiing in kelowns BC in Canada and we visited the local wineries where it was icewine production time..
we actually went out and helped to pick these grapes that were frozen .
The temperature outside has to be -8 degrees celcius for 2 nights in a row.
It is a very tedious job and it has to be done very quickly.
The grapes have to be at a Brix of at least 42%.
Figure Brix= sugar content and for normal table wine about 23% brix is acceptable.
The juice of the grape freezes, but the nectar does not.
the nectar is then squeezed out.. About 1 drop per grape and then processed.
The waste is used for composting. (mostly frozen grapejuice and skins0
It takes about 3 to 5 lbs to produce a 1.5 liter bottle of tablewine.
For Icewine it takes about 50 lbs of grapes to make a 1/2 bottle (750 ml).
These were figures from this particular winery.
it was very impressive.
We paid $110 canadian for a 1/2 bottle ofriesling icewine..
OMG.. it is the most incredible thing imaginable.
a slice of cheesecake that is sweeter than the wine and about 2-3 oz of wine is all you need to take a trip to heaven and back.
Danielle