The agreement is to be phased in through to 2013, to give makers of Canadian knock-offs of these products time to adjust.īy law in Canada, harvesting grapes for Ice Wine can’t start before 15 November. The EU argued that the high sugar content could turn into a higher alcohol content (even though alcohol levels higher than 15% are not possible without distillation.) As part of the horse trading to get Ice Wine on the shelves in Europe, Canada had to agree to stop allowing the generic use of alcoholic product names such as Champagne, Bordeaux, Sherry etc. The high sugar levels ran afoul of EU regulations, which stated that imported wine could not have an alcohol content (or potential content) higher than 15.5 %. In fact, Canadian Ice Wines were banned from Europe until 2001, because of their high sugar levels. They lack the fruity complex notes of the German and Austrian Ice Wines, and are sweeter instead, appealing, some feel, to younger crowds. Most Canadian Ice Wines are sold in 375ml bottles. Canadian knowledge of making Ice Wine, in fact, was built on that of German immigrants to the country. The winters are cold enough in both places that it can be made almost every year.Ĭanada also uses primarily Rriesling grapes, as the Germans do. 90% of Canadian output comes from Ontario 10% from British Columbia. Geographically, it is currently primarily made in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario and in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. In Canada, Ice Wine can only be produced by people who belong to a Vintners Quality Alliance association in their respective province. Ice Wine production in Canada is governed by laws, drafted partly drafted in consultation with makers of Ice Wine such as Donald Ziraldo of Inniskillin. Ice Wine is also made in Austria, around Neusiedlersee, where the Bouvier grape is used. The main production areas are the Rheingau and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. In Germany, Riesling is the grape preferred, followed by Muskateller, Silvaner, Scheurebe and Pinot Noir grapes. The alcohol content will range: a few brands are as low as 6.5% alcohol, but most are in the 8 to 9% alcohol range. The grapes by law must be picked at or below 17 F (-8 C.) No added sugar, flavouring or colouring are permitted, and certainly no artificial freezing methods are allowed. It can be made there about every 7 or 8 years out of 10. Ice Wine has been made in Germany since the 1700s. The grapes are picked during the night, and certainly before 10 am, when the day starts to warm them up again. The harvesting tends to start in December, ending in January or February. Most of the water in the grape doesn’t come out in the pressing, because it’s ice crystals, so the yield of liquid is only 10 to 20 percent of what you would get from grapes that weren’t frozen, but, the liquid that does come out is very concentrated in flavours, acidity and sugars. The freezing point of grapes is lower than that of pure water, because the sugar in them lowers the freezing point. To make it, the grapes are pressed frozen. A 375 ml bottle of van Volexm Saar Riesling can fetch up to $400 US (2007 prices.) Austrians ones are considered by cognoscenti to be a close second in quality to the German ones. German Ice Wines are considered the best, and are the most expensive by far. It is made in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Ice Wine is a sweet dessert wine, usually made from white grapes, but now some are made from red grapes.
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