One-Tank Trip for
Jan. 5/19
(c) By Jim Fox
Clink, clink! They’re
having a real cool celebration in Niagara Wine Country.
It’s time again to
celebrate the frozen nectar of the vines – icewine – with a three-weekend festival.
This dessert wine,
discovered quite by accident, is renowned for its intense flavours, rich
bouquet and smoothness.
It’s something
that’s cherished along with maple syrup as a Canadian iconic product around the
world.
With the latest
harvest of frozen grapes on the vine being one of the earliest in history,
anticipation is growing for the festival weekends from Jan. 11 to 27.
 |
| A toast is offered to the latest vintage of icewine in Niagara. |
The story goes that
icewine wasn’t originally a Canadian product but “eiswein” created in Germany in
the 1700s resulted after an early frost froze the grapes on the vine.
Peasant farmers
felt they had no choice but to press the grapes anyway, not wanting to lose the
harvest and discovered a super sweet and pleasing wine.
Our icewine is
produced from grapes left after the fall harvest once the temperature dips to
-8C or lower.
 |
| Vidal grapes freeze on the vine. (Jim Fox) |
Then the frozen
grapes are handpicked and pressed immediately to carefully release a thick,
rich yellow-gold liquid, highly concentrated in natural sugars and acidity.
Of all the wine-producing
regions in the world, only Ontario has a winter climate sufficiently cold to
ensure an icewine crop in most years, with some 60 wineries now involved.
Icewine is quite
pricy as fruit left on the vine is vulnerable to rot, ravaging winds, hail, hungry birds
and animals as well as being labour-intensive and producing small yields.
That
wasn’t as much an issue this year, as the temperature dipped to icewine-picking
levels on Nov. 22, instead of pickers often out in force around New Year’s Eve
in the past.
Sip and savour
Things heat up as
the festival kicks off on Jan. 11 with the opulent Northern Lights Icewine Gala
at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls.
“The Grand Hall
will be transformed into a Canadian landscape using masterfully crafted ice
sculptures, colourful lighting displays and extraordinary installations,” said
Dorian Anderson, executive director of the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival.
Guests can sip and
savour award-winning VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance)
wines from 35 Niagara wineries that will be “perfectly paired” with dishes
curated to highlight Canadian cuisine.
“Live entertainment
encourages guests to dance the night away at this extravagant evening and a
Canadian-themed silent auction showcases local wineries and businesses,”
Anderson said.
 |
| Glasses of wine are paired with a selection of sweet treats at the Niagara Icewine Gala. (Barbara Fox photo) |
Along with the formal-attire
gala, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and costing $190 a person, there are jam-packed,
self-touring weekends to enjoy icewine, sparkling, red and white wines.
 |
| Enjoying an outdoor festival event. |
This includes outdoor
street festivals in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Jordan and exploring wine and
culinary pairings along the Wine Route and in Niagara Falls that’s “truly a
remarkable celebration,” said Sylvia Augaitis of the Wine Marketing Association
of Ontario.
Don’t pass on this
A big part of the
festival days is the Discovery Pass for use each weekend ($45; $35 for
designated drivers).
Pass
holders can choose eight wine-and-culinary pairings from more than 40 wineries
along the Ontario Wine Route.
These include
“indulgent wine and
culinary pairings” to roasting chestnuts and icewine marshmallows at the 24th
annual fest.
Other options are hot chicken wings paired
with Vidal icewine and spiced pear upside down cake with a Riesling icewine.
Outdoor street celebrations start
on Jan. 11 to 13 including Twenty Valley’s Winter WineFest in Jordan Village, followed
by the Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Icewine Festival, Jan. 18 to 20 and 25 to 27, and
the Niagara Falls Icewine Festival on Jan. 25 and 26.
 |
| Cheers, eh! |
Need to know
For more information on all events and wine-food offerings: niagaraicewinefestival.com, (905) 688-0212;
Niagara Falls,
niagarafallstourism.com/events/icewinefest,
(289) 296-3400.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment