Word of caution about Imiskillen Ice Wine in the F&W booth in Canada!

[Ralph&Pam]

With dessert or instead of dessert? Interesting concept.

When I have a small dinner party at the house, we usually serve "Ice Wine" with cheese and crackers at the beginning....before dinner.

I find that the "sweetness" of the wine is a good match with really strong cheeses, such as blues etc.

Although Ice Wine (or German Eiswein) is typically described as a sweet dessert wine, it certainly pairs well with some cheeses as well. I might serve the Ice Wine with a cheese course following dinner as an alternative to a conventional dessert or serve it with dessert. One classic after dinner pairing is Stilton cheese with (dare I say vintage) Port wine. Certainly a classic American blue cheese like Maytag Blue with a Canadian ice wine would make a nice alternative.

For those thinking about the $4.50 sample price for a 1 oz pour, consider that the bottle prices quoted in some earlier posts are for 375-ml bottles, not the usual 750-ml size bottle. There are approximately twelve to thirteen 1-oz servings in a 375-ml bottle, so the gross receipts on one of these bottles is about $54 or so. Considering that the retail price for a 375-ml bottle of Inniskillin is usually significantly more than $54, this is actually quite a bargain. Inniskillin is available by the glass and (375-ml) bottle at Le Cellier. I think it was about $11 by the glass (it's been two years since we were at the Food and Wine Fest when I last ordered some). This was served in a small (sherry size) glass, not a conventional wine glass. This would be typical of dessert wine service in many good restaurants.

Ralph

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Thank you, Ralph! It does make me feel much better about my purchase!!!

 

[wscato]

DH and I had ice wine for the first time yesterday and loved it. We bought a bottle to take home. Just curious, how much does a bottle of ice wine cost outside of Disney?

When we bought our bottle of Canadian icewine, we noticed they also had another brand for sale. I don't remember the brand, but I think it was from California. We didn't buy it because for $40, I want to know if I'll like it or not. Does anyone know if it's good? We still have 2 more days down here.

Thanks,
Ginger

 

[Mister Disney]

One classic after dinner pairing is Stilton cheese with (dare I say vintage) Port wine. Certainly a classic American blue cheese like Maytag Blue with a Canadian ice wine would make a nice alternative.

Ralph -

I SO LOVE a good port and cheese


mmmmm.....GOOD!

 

[LoveWDW]

We bought a bottle of ice wine at a winery we visited. My husband forgot what it was or forgot how much it cost, but one evening at dinner he brought out full wine glasses of it for the meal. He emptied the bottle! He realized when he tasted it that it was not our typical table wine.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

LoveWDW-ooops!

wscato-How much did you pay for your bottle? It seems that you are saying it was less that $40. I thought the Canadian Ice Wine would cost MORE than $40. Let us know!

 

[wscato]

We paid $50.95 for the Canadian ice wine at the Festival Wine Shop in Innovetions. They also had another brand of ice wine for around $40.

Ginger

 

[ottawa-newbie]

Inniskillin icewine is about $40 Canadian per bottle here (for Vidal 1998)

 

[Sarnia]

A fantasic pairing for Ice Wine is Foie Gras of all types, as an appetiser. It would also go well with other rich terrines.

 

[Cookie Princess]

I love the Ice Wine and I too wish the sample was bigger. I am a lover of wine and anything sweet so I would have no problem enjoying this in a larger quantity! I will be having a glass at Le Cellier in a little over 2 weeks and also having the sample size at the F&W Festival.

 

[faindrops27]

Does anyone know, how much the ice wine in Lecieller, is going for now. By the glass, and or bottle. Thanks in advance. I am thinking. I want to try it when I go in September. I love sweet. So, do you all think it is worth it? I have heard so much about it.

 

[misslissa]

Definitely worth it! Enjoy!

 

[te2077]

i am not much of a wine drinker, but you all have me very interested. Im going to try this when we visit Le Cellier in Dec.

 

[dznymom1]

I just came back from a short tour of the Niagara Wine Region. We visited Inniskillen in addition to several other wineries, and it was almost as much fun as the Food & Wine Festival If you like sweet wine, and you haven't tried Ice Wine, it is definitely worth a try. It is available now in many liquor stores, but somehow it always tastes best in EPCOT!

 

[crisi]

German Sweet Wines (ice wine is eiswein) in order of sweetness. Because of the way the grapes are harvested, expect them to get more expensive as they get sweeter:

Spatlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese
Eiswein

I like Auslese - it gets too sweet for me beyond that. If you enjoy ice wine, but can't afford to drink it, try moving back up the ladder and seeing where the point lies for you. Auslese is still pretty darn sweet.

 

[betterlatethannever]

I just came back from a short tour of the Niagara Wine Region. We visited Inniskillen in addition to several other wineries, and it was almost as much fun as the Food & Wine Festival If you like sweet wine, and you haven't tried Ice Wine, it is definitely worth a try. It is available now in many liquor stores, but somehow it always tastes best in EPCOT!

We did that last Sunday. Yes, it was fun, but the two hour wait at the border to cross back to the States ALMOST made it not worth it.

Ed

 

[laura001]

Although Ice Wine (or German Eiswein) is typically described as a sweet dessert wine, it certainly pairs well with some cheeses as well. I might serve the Ice Wine with a cheese course following dinner as an alternative to a conventional dessert or serve it with dessert. One classic after dinner pairing is Stilton cheese with (dare I say vintage) Port wine. Certainly a classic American blue cheese like Maytag Blue with a Canadian ice wine would make a nice alternative.

For those thinking about the $4.50 sample price for a 1 oz pour, consider that the bottle prices quoted in some earlier posts are for 375-ml bottles, not the usual 750-ml size bottle. There are approximately twelve to thirteen 1-oz servings in a 375-ml bottle, so the gross receipts on one of these bottles is about $54 or so. Considering that the retail price for a 375-ml bottle of Inniskillin is usually significantly more than $54, this is actually quite a bargain. Inniskillin is available by the glass and (375-ml) bottle at Le Cellier. I think it was about $11 by the glass (it's been two years since we were at the Food and Wine Fest when I last ordered some). This was served in a small (sherry size) glass, not a conventional wine glass. This would be typical of dessert wine service in many good restaurants.

Ralph

I will add to this, I have actually picked the grapes that are used to make Icewine and happen to live only a few minutes away from Inniskillin Winery. The process is as follows:




Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months. The resulting freezing and thawing of the grapes dehydrates the fruit, and concentrates the sugars, acids, and extracts in the berries, thereby intensifying the flavours and adding complexity to the wine made from it.

Genuine icewine must follow VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulations that prohibit any artificial freezing of grapes. The grapes are painstakingly picked BY HAND in their natural frozen state, ideally at temperatures of -10 to -13 degrees C -- sometimes the picking must be done at night to take advantage of the temperature. Yields are very low, often as little as 5-10 percent of normal.

The frozen grapes are pressed in the extreme cold. The water in the juice remains frozen as ice crystals, and only a few drops of sweet concentrated juice is obtained. This juice is then fermented very slowly for several months, stopping naturally.

The finished icewine is intensely sweet and flavorful in the initial mouth sensation. The balance is achieved by the acidity, which gives a clean, dry finish. The nose of icewine recalls lychee nuts. The wine tastes of tropical fruits, with shadings of peach nectar and mango.


Icewine is typically a dessert wine and served in small portion (apperitif) The price range differs depending on the year, yield etc., usually between 49.95 and 69.95 per 375 ml., although much more expensive bottles are also available. If you have never tried it, it is definately worth trying especially after a nice meal, definately worth $4.50.

Hope this helps.

 

[Redwitch]

fainsdrop27 --

The wine was $15.00 at Le Cellier in January. This was the small "cordial" size. They also had an Icewine Martini that I found strangely tasty.

 

[richard_andmel]

I am planning on trying this at the WL in September. One of my favorite dessert wines is Vin Santo which is an Italian wine that is often served with biscotti. (I never have biscotti with mine though.) Has anyone had both, and if so how do they compare? I know Vin Santo is more expensive than some wines I buy, but certainly not anywhere as expensive as Ice Wine.

 

[eeyore45]

Laura, thank you so much for posting your experiences here!! AWESOME!! I love the dis!!

I said it before (pg 1) I'll say it again - Ice wine is special (read Laura's post) and is so worth every penny!! Indescribable!!

I hope... HOPE ... we'll be able to have the Ice wine again at this years Party for the Senses!!

A local wine distributer here near Chicago did a "Food and Wine" festival.. and a California Winery brought their "Ice Wine"... ummmm I dont THINK so.. It tasted.. maybe similiar to Ice Wine, but... it lacked so much.. body, flavor...

I know other Canadians have posted that the Innisken isnt a "top of the line " ice wine, but more "middle" - trust me, compared to the Calif. sample I tasted.. I cant wait till F&W!!!

and I often CANT wait, and do pay the $ 5 outside for the sample of Ice wine, for me, its so well worth it!!