Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

290 Chapter 13 The Grand Finale: Dessert and Dessert Wines

Table 13.1 Frozen Grape Examples

Primary Regions Primary Grapes Typical Producers

Canada—Niagara (over

90% of Canada’s ice

wine is produced in

Ontario) and Okanagan

Vidal Blanc, Riesling, Gewu ̈rztraminer,

Cabernet Franc

Ontario:Chaˆteau des Charmes, Henry of Pelham, Kittling Ridge,

Pillitteri, Reif Estates

Okanagan:Gehringer Brothers Estate

Both Ontario and Okanagan:Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs

Pacific Northwest—

Washington, Oregon, and

Idaho

Chenin Blanc, Gewu ̈rztraminer,

Riesling, Se ́millon, Sauvignon Blanc,

Pinot Noir

Oregon:Argyle, King Estate, Ponzi Vineyards

Washington:Chateau Ste. Michelle, Covey Run, Kiona, L’Ecole No.

41, Preston, Terra Blanca

Idaho:Sawtooth Winery

Ohio and New York Vidal Blanc, Riesling Ohio:Chalet Debonne, Ferrante, Firelands, Heineman

New York:Hunt Country, Wagner.

Germany (mainly from the

Rhine and Mosel Valleys)

Riesling, Huxelrebe Helenenkloster, Selbach-Oster

Austria Bouvier, Blaufra ̈nkisch (also known

as Lemberger), Gewu ̈rztraminer,

Gru ̈ner-Veltliner

Heiss Winery, Gsellmann and Gsellmann Winery

New Zealand Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon

Blanc

Brightwater Vineyards, Mission Estate, Nobilo, Selaks

wine that can be served with desserts. Sparkling wines were discussed in depth in Chapter

6 and therefore will not be covered in any great detail in the dessert wine section of this

chapter. They are included where appropriate in the sections on desserts and wine pairing.

There is a wide range of dessert wines produced in regions all over the globe. The

discussion here only scratches the surface of this wine category, but it provides a good

framework for categorizing dessert wines regardless of where they are produced. General

categories include frozen-grape wines, late-harvest wines, dried-grape wines, and fortified

wines.^1 However, you will notice that dessert wines are also created by combining two or

more of these techniques.

Frozen-Grape Wines As discussed in the Aperitif, the traditional frozen-grape

wine is created by leaving the grapes on the vine until they are frozen, then picking and

pressing them while still frozen. Because the grapes have been left on the vine for a longer

period (reducing the water content and increasing the sugar content) and a lot of the water

is left behind as ice when they are pressed, the remaining juice is exceptionally sweet, with

concentrated flavors.

Classic examples of wines made using this frozen process are German Eiswein and

Canadian ice wine. Ice wine and other frozen wines are also produced in the United States

(mainly in northern areas such as Washington, Idaho, Ohio, and New York) and in the

colder locations of New Zealand. In Germany, Canada and Austria, the grapes are required

to be frozen naturally;^2 Some ice wine producers in other regions, such as Oregon, Califor-

nia, and warmer areas of New Zealand, create ice wines by placing grapes in the freezer

prior to pressing. This process, referred to as cryoextraction (mechanical freezing), is more

reliable and less expensive, but it is considered ‘‘cheating’’ by ice wine purists and generally

results in wines of a lower quality. Frozen wines produced in this manner cannot be labeled

as ice wine; rather, they are labeled using a variety of terms such asiced wine, vino gelato,

cryo-cluster, frostbite,andvin de glacie`re.

Table 13.1 provides a list of typical regions that produce frozen-grape wines. The

standard grape typically used for frozen-grape wines varies by region. The classic grape is