Issue Seven

Already it’s Fall when seasoned North Easterners feign to ignore their woolens and corduroys, instead choosing khakis with fleece, and sandals with socks as they hope for summer’s last lick. It’s when thick-skinned Western-New Yorkers look away from winter’s promise to embrace the repose of Autumn. With winter’s chill comes the promise of football and chowder, Tony Soprano and whited ski slopes. With winter’s chill also comes the end to the Niagara Peninsula’s grape growing season.

Tucked within Western New York’s Niagara Region thrives two winter warriors we know little about: the Riesling and Vidal grape–thick-skinned, patient grapes that wait on the vine for winter’s freeze. These two local heroes result in some of the world's finest, award-winning Icewines. That's right, World Class nectar only minutes from the Niagara Escarpment and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, and all because of geography. The Niagara Region is located in the same latitude as renowned vineyards in France, Italy and California–between the 41 and 44 degree North Latitude–the perfect microclimate for growing grapes.

ICEWINES

Don’t be fooled by the trendy appeal of Icewines: they are difficult to produce, and so are justifiably pricey. And though they take on unique and tropical aromas as they age, these are wines that can be enjoyed immediately.

Uniquely produced from sweet, completely frozen grapes, Icewines are made from both the Riesling and Vidal grape, fruit known for its thick-skinned ability to withstand rot while waiting on the vine for winter’s freeze. The grapes are so completely frozen when painstakingly hand picked, they sound more like marbles than fruit when dropped into buckets. They remain frozen through the time of their pressing, their unlikely juices procured as if from rock hard pebbles. The harvested juice and ice are left to mingle, resulting in fermentation. This juice contains the most concentrated form of acids and grape sugars, resulting in a wine both exceptionally sweet and and exceptionally tart.

 Because of Icewine’s distinct and delicate chemical makeup, Canada maintains very strict laws for its production. For example, the crop’s freeze must be authentic and not replicated. The sugar content must be high enough to meet the 32 Brix–the measurement of sugar in a grape before it can be declared an Icewine by the government. Because of these restrictions, Ontario’s Icewines remain the finest in the world.

Vineland Estates Winery, located on the slopes of the Niagara Peninsula, is the first Canadian winery to receive the “Premio Speciale Grand Vin Italy 2003” Award, the top overall prize at Verona, Italy’s international competition. Likewise, Ontario’s reknowned Inniskillin Wines, known as Brae Burn Estate, received the Le Grande Prix d’Honneur for its 1989 Icewine at Vinexpo, Bordeaux in 1991.

CHARACTERISTICS

The nose of Ontario’s icewines recall a nutty scent, oftentimes lychee nut, while their colors can range from golden yellow to deep, rich amber.

The initial mouth sensation is sweet and flavorful, typically reminiscent of apricot, peach, mango, and melon, followed by a clean, dry finish. The wine is chilled one or two hours before it’s served in a small cordial glass, oftentimes with dessert.

PINOT NOIR

Pioneer wine maker and grape grower Michael VonHeckler recently completed his second major planting of French Dijon Clone Pinot Noir plants. This planting increased the size of his vineyard from 15 acres to 40 acres, with 20 more acres set aside for 2004. Still, the most startling fact surrounding Von Heckler’s success is that his winery is not located in France, but in Cambria, New York, only thirty minutes outside of Buffalo, New York.

VonHeckler is the founder and managing partner of Warm Lake Estate, a vineyard that boasts the single largest continuous planting of French Dijon Clone Pinot Noir in New York State. The Pinot Noir clones were developed to not only mimic the grapes, but improve them by decreasing the inherent danger of disease and rot. VonHeckler has been so successful with his Pinot Noir clones that his second harvest already accounts for more than 17 percent of New York’s Pinot Noir production. And his wine is suprisingly similar to the French Burgundy of Volnay, the most lively and delicate wine in Burgundy. VonHeckler’s 2002 vintage is completely sold out before leaving the barrel. Even Warm Lake Estate’s second vintage, 2003, is nearing sell-out status.

CHARACTERISTICS

Pinot Noirs have a great deal of fragrance, typically releasing hints of clove, currants, raspberry, and chocolate. Also common are scents of strawberry, violets, and roses.

When sampling these quality Pinot Noirs, notice a silk-like smoothness to the wine, a fruity quality that possesses finesse and elegance.

It’s true that these vineyards are peacefully stunning, especially when bathed in morning’s fog, or when crisp with Autumn’s gold wash. But Niagara’s many excellent wineries offer plenty more than a day trip destination: it’s time to look beyond the wines of France, Italy, Chile, and Spain, and discover the reasons that Vincor International of Canada, and Boisset of Burgundy in France are committed to building a state-of-art wineries just minutes from Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s time to discover the World Class Wines of the Niagara Frontier.

Warm Lake Estates Winery 716.731.2926
Inniskillin Wines 1 888.466.4754
Vineland Estates Winery 1.888.Vineland