Canadian Ice Wine and Dessert Wine….OH CANADA!

Canadian Ice Wine and Dessert Wine….OH CANADA! – Episode #90

September 14, 2006

Wines tasted in this episode:

Today Gary attacks and talks about Canadian Ice wines and Dessert wines. Gary is blown away by the efforts from up North and asks a great little question. Please join in and ask Gary some questions and look for the fun and excitement in this episode!

126 Responses

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September 14, 2006

Grant Gallagher
Hi Gary. very interesting episode, primarily because I’ve tried icewines several times and I know I don’t like them. Why don’t I like them? well it’s that prickly acid taste – the one that gives you sweat on the sides of your nose – combined with the intense sweetness. I never get the feeling that these wines are lasting in my mouth – all I ever get is perfumy acidy sweetness that is all at the front and nothing behind. Sorry. For me, nothing beats port and my favourite has to have been Granham’s ‘77. I have had some very good Zinfandel “Ports” from California and what strikes me is that while they have great flavour and intensity, they tend to lack the depth and complexity of Portugese wine. I don’t know why this is – perhaps it’s just my palete, but these californian wines lack the depth of even the LBVs from Warre and Noval (the ones that are bottled unfiltered).

How-EVER – once again great episode and great olfactory metaphores. You have done wine a true service with WLTV, Gary, a true service. G
September 14, 2006

Jaye
Woops, I just went back and looked at my tasting notes from June of 2005; it was a 1977 Taylor Fladgate Port, not a Fonseca.
September 14, 2006

Doug W
Hi Gary

I live in Canada and have another obscure ice wine you might want to try. The 2003 Vidal Icewine from Yost Vineyard in Nova Scotia.
September 14, 2006

Matthew L
Great episode Gary. We decided to use a Spanish cava at our post-wedding reception, but thanks for being willing to provide suggestions. Thanks as well for answering questions. It’s a one-two punch with the review and then Q&As.

I must be honest and say that I cannot provide the name of a dessert wine. I’ve been a fan of port, but couldn’t tell you the name of one, and I have a bottle sitting on my wine cart downstairs.

Something you mentioned the other day really opened my eyes to something. It was about taking a few minutes to develop a “plan of attack” at a wine tasting. They have a big wine expo here in DC each year, as well as a good one in Virginia. I’ve gone for the last couple of years and felt lost with so many tables. I will definitely try your suggestion, beginning with the Virginia Wine Show at the end of this month.

Question…What producer(s) do you think succeeds at making multiple varietals?
September 14, 2006

Jaye
I don’t get to drink too many dessert wines, I am trying some new ones out though. I’d say the best dessert wine I have had so far was a 1977 Fonseca Vintage Port that I bought on a whim a couple of years ago. I have purchased some nice Tokaji, Port and Sauternes, but it would be infanticide for me to try them now.

In the meantime I am just developing my palate with less expensive wines like Campbell’s Rutherglen Austrailian Tokay, 10-year Fonseca Tawny Port, and even Fro-Zin that you showed earlier this year. I hope to develop an appreciation for the thickness and finish so I can enjoy the bigger ones when they are ready to drink. I would really love to try a German BA, TBA or Ice Wine, but I just can’t get myself to part with the dough for one of those babies.
September 14, 2006

Craig Girolami
Gary,

I like Vino Santo,

the Tuscan Ripasso Dessert wine.

Another favorite,
Robert Pecota Muscato D’Andrea. Named after his lovely daughter.

Ciao
September 14, 2006

Fernando L
Hy Gary,

Best dessert wine that I ever had was Torcolato Maculan. We had on our honeymoon on Italy 8 years ago on Harrys Bar…Unforgatable Moment. I am saving another botle to drink when we complete 10 years together.

Fernando L
September 14, 2006

Richard
I liked the fact that you got your facts right on Canadian Ice Wine. Thats a nice change of pace from other non Canadian wine people I have heard.
You should have mentioned that Canada also makes world class still wines from Vitas Vinifera varieties, especially Riesling and Chardonnay. We also do well with Cabernet Franc.
In the next decade look for world class Pinot Noir to come out of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s newest wine region
September 14, 2006

Darlene O.
Hey, Gary, another great episode! Favorite dessert wine has to be Chateau D’Yquem!!
September 14, 2006

Rick
Hi Gary

Try roses and violets with raspberry and strawberry maybe a little cherry at one tenth the price.

White Zinfandel!
September 14, 2006

Ctown
GV, Good show. Vintage Ports rule the dessert wine universe. There is nothing like watching the Jets lose at Cleveland Browns Stadium while sipping a great Warre from the bode bag. What every happened to Kenny O’Brien anyway??

TONY! Stop stalking, it’s creepy.
September 14, 2006

Paul R
Gary,

My favorite Desert wine is the 1997 Klien Constantia Vin de Constance from South Africa. This was another wine my wife and I tasted while we were over there last year and I we loved it. Unfortunately I do not think is very obtainable out side of South Africa. An affordable Sauternes from France is Chateau Guiraud which is generally very reasonably priced.

Paul
September 14, 2006

DWildman
Excellent episode…I also love the Inniskillen Vidal Ice Wine.

The most amazing dessert wine I’ve ever had is a Late Harvest Mourvedre that I picked up while tasting at Cline winery in Sonoma. Haven’t seen it anywhere else.

For dessert wines generally available, I’ve always loved Bonny Doon’s Vin de Glaciere.
September 14, 2006

TimF
For those of you living on Long Island who want to check out a local ice wine: seek out Macari’s Block E. It’s not a true ice wine (I don’t think it gets cold enough on Long Island) but they freeze the grapes and do it in an ice wine style. The stuff is unbelievable — by far the best Long Island wine I’ve had.
September 14, 2006

StÃ©phane
Another great episode, very instructive but next time you rate a beer choose something that actually has flavor! Canada has plenty of good beers, but Molson is not one of them.
September 14, 2006

Tampa Steve
Sorry Gary, not trying to call you Gay…lolol…a little typo there.
September 14, 2006

Tampa Steve
Gay, must be getting a lot of evening hits on WLTV, your server in the evening ccccrrrraaaawwwwwllllllsssssssssssssssssssss………………….
Never been a desert wine kind of guy. I like to drink wine both before and during dinner. Afterwards, if anything it will go to cognac. My favorite congnac, 150yr old Grand Marnier. And yes that goes GREAT over ice cream.
September 14, 2006

Justin
Gary, yet again another great episode. It was nice to see an episode on ice wine. I have had many people tell me about Inniskillin and other ice wines, but I have yet to splurge on a bottle. I think I may soon. Maybe next paycheck I will get that and those other 9 wines you recommended to me. Thanks
September 14, 2006

PeterT
Great episode. Best dessert wine was the Yalumba non-vintage Museum Reserve Muscat. Try pouring it over fresh sliced fruit, vanilla gelato, or both! Unreal!
September 14, 2006

JimB
What a nose you have. 4000 peaches smashed in an auto body shop? Great description of something that has never happened. Best desert wine: Tokay from Hungary.
September 14, 2006

joe
Great show Gary. Your descriptions and nuanced reactions to thewines, made me feel like I was consuming them with you. I too love Ice wine – whether it is German or Canadian. In fact I love most dessert wines.

My favorites are Tokai Aszu, Port (not so much tawny but the real stuff – aged vinatage rubies), and especially Sauternes. Greatest experiences: 1945 Ferreria and 1990 Suduriaut.

I think Parker does favor dessert wines (like most of us do) but is off base with all the 95+ Aussie Stickies like Chambers which I find simple sickenly sweet cough syrup.

In terms of the heat episode – would the methodology be better holding the control bottles in your 55 degree wine storage area rather than on your 70 degree floor for those days? It will produce the greater difference between the wines and better emulate the importance of storing properly (under 65 degrees) for control bottles. Or better yet, have 2 tests and one control:

control: red and whie at 55 degrees for their life
Test 1: As you described, one red one white in sunny hot window for a week
Test 2: the same red and white On a floor at 72-75 degrees to emulate storing in kitchen like many do.
September 14, 2006

Gene Mishkevich
GV, You’ve finally tasted beer!! and you rated it..!!! Finally, something I asked for you to do about 2 months ago.. YEAH…. I am jumping out of my pants.. OMG, this calls for a 6 pack of Weiss.
September 14, 2006

stewart
I just visited an ice wine vineyard this past weekend. My daughter is a freshman at Mercyhurst college in Erie, Pa. My wife and I went to a local winery, Mazza, which makes an excellent ice wine [vidal blanc] about 40 a bottle. I agree, with dessert, there is nothing like an ice wine. We hope to attend the ice wine festival they have this winter.
September 14, 2006

Gene Mishkevich
CJM, no worries, i was just busting GV’s chops.. I love to do that. Remember, I am the one who’s been bitching about wrong time on the server..
September 14, 2006

John H.
Dessert wines…love ‘em! I’ve found, however, that people either love them or hate them. My favorite to date, 1998 Kracher #10 TBA (liquid gold), followed closely by the 2001 Chateau Suduiraut.