Icewine Extremists

We are currently in full detox mode. Desperately in need of water, exercise and vegetables. No more rich, indulgent food or luxurious wine.  We. Just. Can’t. Take. It.  Please consider this post a formal appeal for mercy.

Perhaps we should start at the beginning.

We’ve just returned from a full weekend of hedonistic Icewine indulgence in Niagara on the Lake.  For those of you following us on Huffington Post, you know NOTL is in full celebratory swing this month for the Icewine Festival.  With sub zero temperatures finally upon us — and we say that with a bit of selfish trepidation — the village was turned last weekend into an icy winter wonderland as Icewine lovers flocked to the area to indulge in all that is sweet and good with Canada’s own wine.

We were invited by Peller Estates to take part in its most amazing annual weekend bootcamp.  Called, “Intense Icewine Weekend: A Bootcamp for Bon Vivants” organizers weren’t kidding around: two days of eating, drinking and indulging in anything and everything to do with Icewine.

After checking in at the hotel Saturday morning, we met our fellow Icewine enthusiasts in the lobby — 16 amazing people, most of them American, interestingly enough.  One chap even came all the way from Miami.  Anyway, the group was promptly driven to the winery start the day with sparkling wine, pastries and coffee.

Next, we hit the great outdoors for some vine pruning.  Under the watchful eye of Mary McDermott, Peller’s in-house winemaker, we learned to snip away old cordons to make way for the spring’s bounty.

Now let us be clear here: we love winemakers. We love that their passion, vision and fruits of their labour have improved many of our meals, and brought joy to many an evening. But man, are we happy we don’t have that job. The nail biting practice of waiting until it hits -10 degrees Celsius only to race out, often in the dead of night, to begin the labourious task of hand cutting bunches of frozen grapes. It could be New Year’s Eve, it could be Christmas Day. It doesn’t matter because Icewine grapes wait for no one. It’s almost a sick joke that the grapes that aren’t eaten by birds only produce a drop or two of valuable juice. (It’s estimated that Icewine grapes produce about 15% of what table wine grapes do).

Anyway, lucky for us, Mary’s among the dedicated few fighting the good fight for Icewine. But really, she can have it. We’ll stick to drinking it alongside some cheese and a fire.

After all that pruning and cutting there was a serious need for delicious food, fabulous wine and excellent conversation. Check, check and check.

Back to the winery, Executive Chef Jason Parsons rolled out the first meal of our weekend eating marathon.

Three courses so flavourful and delicious it was a battle of wills to stop eating before the plate was clean. We lost.

One of our favourite pairings was the Diver scallops with butternut squash risotto and goat’s cheese paired with the 2010 Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc.

Sophisticated and elegant more in the style of white Bordeaux, this wine will not be released for another few weeks, but we were treated to an exclusive tasting before its release — a common theme throughout the trip. Scroll to the bottom of this blog for a full review. Actually, don’t. Keep reading. It gets better.

After lunch, the afternoon was packed with a tutored Icewine tasting (reviews to follow this article)

free time downtown to eat and drink more,

… and about an hour’s rest back at the hotel to freshen up before a five-course dinner

Chef once again prepared an intricate and beautifully presented meal. Check out how the fois gras in the first course is shaped to look like wine corks.

But for us it was a tie between Squab and Blue Cheese ice cream as our favourites.

After dinner we hit Peller Estates’ back patio to roast marshmallows over an open fire. When we were given the weekend itinerary, we were thinking a bag of Jet-Puffed and a foraged twig. Not so. As we walked outside a line of cutey-pie chefs stood armed like a row of soldiers handing out gigantic white clouds on wooden wands – our arsenal for the final leg of the evening as we went into a last battle against already bulging tummies.

These homemade Icewine marshmallows have developed a cult following, so now the winery is blowing through more than 1,200 in a weekend during the festival. And they are good. Gooey and sweet, we went back for seconds.

The next day was another packed agenda — though not quite so long — as we visited a family farm that grows grapes specifically for Andrew Peller Limited (Peller has a few wineries under its belt including Hillebrand, Thirty Bench & the newly acquired Wayne Gretzky Wines). Not only were we allowed to indulge our inner children by playing on the farm machinery (a serious highlight for Erin), but we were treated to an exclusive tasting of Icewine juice — the sweet nectar that’s collected before fermenting into wine.

We had to duck out a little early, much to our disappointment, but the event carried on for a few more hours with the group testing its new-found Icewine skills in a blind tasting and then wrapping it all up over another decadent lunch.

All in all, a really well done weekend, and we tip our hats to Peller Estates for a beautifully executed event. After spending years in the hospitality industry, and organizing one or two wine events ourselves, we know how timing is everything and the smallest thing can unhinge the whole show. If something went amiss during our stay, we’re not aware as our service was polished, graceful and relaxed. In short, a fabulous weekend that was well timed, well managed, thoroughly entertaining, and a wicked amount of fun.

Now were off to the treadmills.

Reviews:
Here are some of our wine highlights of the weekend.
For availability, pricing and where to buy visit peller.com

Sauvignon Blanc “Signature Series” VQA Niagara on the Lake, 2010
As mentioned this will not be released for another few weeks, but it is a beautifully restrained expression of Sauv Blanc. Interestingly, it underwent a partial wild fermentation, where some of the grape juice was hauled out to the vineyard in glass canisters, covered with cheese cloth, and allowed to hangout under the vines for a few days. The naturally occurring yeasts on the vines got into the juice and it happily bubbled away, producing an interesting complexity not often found in Sauv Blancs. Flavours of mandarine orange, ripe Bosc pear and mild grass notes. In addition to Diver scallops with butternut squash risotto, try with fresh oysters or roast chicken.

Ice Cuvee Classic Rose “Signature Series” VQA Niagara on the Lake, NV
We’ve mentioned this a few times now, but it’s worth bringing up again. A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Cabernet France this wine gets a dosage (top up) with Vidal & Cab Franc Icewines. What results is a barely off-dry sparkler filled with red berry, apricot and brioche notes. Try with grilled salmon and roast vegetables.

Cabernet Franc Icewine VQA Niagara Peninsula 2007
A nose of baked rhubarb pie and wild red cherries, this follows through on the palate with maraschino cherry, black tea and wild flower honey. Pair with chocolate ganache or fruit pie.

“Oak Aged” Vidal Icewine “Signature Series” VQA Niagara Peninsula 2007
Almost reminiscent of fino sherry, the guava/passionfruit sweetness is balanced by wild flower and subtle sea spray notes with key lime and bitter marmalade flavours. Try with poached pear and blue cheese or even pate and candied kumquat.