A toast to sweetness...

It's not an everyday event when u would get to really lift yourself off from the world and sit down with your loved ones. It's also not an everyday event when you will have something that you really find so celebratory that you jump and call for a party. But when you find that day that you decide is worth rejoicing and feel like making a toast of sweetness to someone, you probably will never miss the ice wine.

Ice Wine~How more classy can the name be? Its icy element just makes one's curiosity grow. However, perhaps you are one of them who have heard about it but yet stepped back a little because of the high price that it is always seen carrying. Indeed, ice wine is considered as one of the higher end wines. Nevertheless, you might just find the money well-spent after you understand more about its creation process and perhaps even taste one!

Ice wine, being a member of the dessert wine family, attained its name from its attributes. Being made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine, the existence of this wine is definitely not as simple a thing as any other wine we might have drank before! This is because in order for the grapes to qualify, these grapes must be free from Botrytis cinerea (noble rot). In fact, Botrytis cinerea does not really matter in the case of the other dessert wines like Tokaji or Sauternes. Hence, showing how much more sensitive the making of ice wine is.

So what really is the cause for its sweet taste since it is still just made from the grapes? Do not misunderstand and think that sugar is probably being added in! The natural sweetness in ice wine actually is a result of the freezing of the water content in the grapes and thus causing the sugars and other dissolved solids to be a concentrated finish. And because of the fear that the water might get warmed up and fail the concentrated result, it has got to be hand harvested at night or during early morning while the weather is still very cold. The timing of freeze is also one of the most important and crucial element as well. Too late a freeze will see the rotting of grapes and thus the losing of crops while too cold a freeze will result in failure in extracting any juice. So the price really doesn't seem so marked-up now ya?

Ice wine also tend to have a lower alcohol content then regular table wine. It usually delivers a refreshing taste and you will most likely find the aromas of peaches, dried apricots and figs in it. Long for the lingering finish that wines usually give? This member here would be most happy and pleasured to give you a lingering touch of honey and some other flavors alike. Indeed, i believe you might see it like I do, to view this as a nice smooth way of rounding up a meal! *Sweetalicious* indeed!

Oh, and by the way, if you're just wondering if ice wine should be aged, I can only say even wine connoisseurs argue amongst themselves over this issue! While some side along the logic that ice wine should and can age well because of the possible preservation due to the high sugar content, the opposing parties reasoned also that aging will only cause the fruitiness and refreshing taste and aroma to be lost. So who do you side with? For me, save me out of this controversy because I guess it'll work out better for me to just indulge myself in the sweetness of this very special event I have made as an excuse! ~so please excuse me for a night while the argument goes on...~ =)

P.S. The above information is gathered from:
- Wikipedia for information and frozen grapes photo that is taken by Dominic Rivard
- www.howtowine.org