LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2020

I cewi ne – L i qu i d Go l d Luscious and luxurious, Icewine is an intensely flavoured sweet wine made from grapes that have been left to freeze naturally on the vine. Ontario’s ideal climatic conditions set the stage for producing some of the finest Icewine in the world.

Icewine is typically harvested between December and February. Strict VQA quality standards require the temperature to be -8°C or colder for both the picking and pressing of the grapes. Mother nature decides when the harvest takes place, but picking frozen on the vine allows the grapes to naturally dehydrate and any remaining water in the grapes is frozen. The resulting juice is incredibly concentrated, sweet and rich, earning the nickname “liquid gold”. You need 10 Icewine grapes to make 1 single ml of Icewine. While any vinifera grape can be used to make VQA Icewine, the most common varieties in Ontario are Vidal, Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are occasionally used in smaller lots. Be sure to taste and compare to find your favourite!

Ontario produces over 95% of Canada’s Icewine

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