culture
Unwined: I’m Just Sweet Enough
Ice wine isn't too sweet; you're just drinking it wrong.
Icewine is still one of the most underrated wines that you can pick up at the LCBO. It’s often relegated to holiday get-togethers, where it is begrudgingly opened after a big meal and people around the table take turns complaining about how sweet it is.
The biggest issue with icewine is that we don’t know how to drink it. It has been served with dessert as long as we can remember. When you pair something that is very sweet with something else very sweet of course it’s going to taste…sweet. But there are a few very good new options coming out that might make you rethink your take on icewine, if you’re willing to change your approach to drinking it.
Here are some options to consider when you crack your bottle with some good company. You don’t have to be complicated with your food pairings; fatty and salty foods will help bring out more of the fruit flavours in the wine and help tone down the saltiness in your foods. Something as simple as Doritos or Cheezies make a perfect match. If you feel the need to be a little more classy than that go with hard cheeses — parmesan, cheddar, and blue cheeses are some of my favourites. Charcuterie is another great pairing. If you’re going to pair these wines with a main course you will want to think about dishes where salt is front and centre, like fried chicken or poutine. The following are a few good choices to match with your appetizer or main course. Just try not to save it for dessert.
2014 Chateau des Charmes Vidal Icewine (200 ml) – Vintages 565861 – $25.95 – **** – Honey and apricot on the nose with flavours to match, this is a perfectly balanced icewine. The acidity also fills your whole mouth right to the back corners of your tongue and leaves you with nice honey aromas that rise right to the roof of your mouth.
2013 Cave Spring Indian Summer Select Late Harvest (375 ml) – Vintages 415901 – $24.95 – ****+ – This isn’t technically an icewine, but a good late harvest wine will give you a similar flavour to icewine at about half the sugar. There is apricot and peach on the nose and more of the same in your mouth with hints of tangerine tossed into the mix. The acidity is bright, helping to bring out the citrus flavours and helps wash away some of the lingering sweetness.
2013 Reif Vidal Icewine (200 ml) – Vintages 544791 – $24.95 – **** – This is truly liquid candy. The nose is honey and caramel with a slight nuttiness to it. The flavours on this wine are orange and peach with very strong notes of sponge toffee. The acidity is a little more subdued on this icewine so you will definitely want to enjoy this paired with some cheeses or other salty dishes.
As always, I don’t want to leave you with just icewine to enjoy over the next couple weeks here are a few other great wines that I am currently enjoying.
2013 13th Street Red Palette – Vintages 249458 – $15.95 – ***1/2 – The nose on this wine is raspberry jam. This is made to be enjoyed now with no cellaring necessary. The flavours in the glass are cherry, strawberry and raspberry and as with the nose very ripe and jammy. The finish has a slight savoury edge to this which has me thinking of red meat as a pairing. Unpretentious and tasty, I will be pairing this with everything from a simple burger to a decent top sirloin steak.
2013 Calliope Sauvignon Blanc – Vintages 258905 – $18.95 – **** – I had to go out of province to talk about this BC sauvignon blanc. This wine is perfectly priced and delicious. The nose is apple with grassy notes. The flavours are granny smith, lemons and lime with a nice mineral note and grassiness on the finish. This is a great wine to sip on it’s own or a great match to grilled or baked fish or freshly-shucked oysters.
2013 Cave Spring Estate Bottled Chardonnay Musqué – Vintages 246579 – $15.95 – ***1/2+ – While I really wish we saw more musqué in the province, the wineries that do handle the grape do it very well. The nose is white flower and citrus with flavours that match. Dry with nice crisp acidity on the finish. This will make a great match to spicy cuisine of all sorts whether it’s hot wings or Szechuan cuisine.