Canada's Icewine

Icewine

The joy of enduring winter.

Without the extreme cold of our Canadian winters there would be no Icewine.

Icewine and Canada are synonymous. It has become a Canadian icon.

Photograph provide by Steven Elphick *

Pictured here is the oldest existing bottle of icewine made in North America. The bottle label was hand painted by Tilman's Mother, and yes, the bottle still contains icewine and was sent as a gift to Tilman's Aunt in Germany.

Tilman's Aunt had the foresight to return it to Tilman because she thought it too valuable to drink. It is now part of Tilman's private cellar, along with some other amazing items..

We thank Tilman Hainle and Sara Norman of Working Horse Winery for the right to use this picture.

© Robert A Bell

Canada is the Worlds leader in exporting Icewines. China and Japan are major importers of Icewine. It was not until May of 2001 that Canada was allowed to sell it's icewines in Europe.

The wine is also gaining in popularity through out the United States

In 2006 Russia allowed Canada to present its icewines during the PRODEXPO-2006 Trade Show. The leading producers of Icewine such as Cave Spring Cellars, Chateau des Charmes Wines, Inniskillin Wines, Reif Estate Winery, Royal DeMaria Wines, Lakeview Cellars Estate Winery and Pillitteri Estate Winery were present at the tasting with one Icewine each. Each of the participants was included in the 2005 Hachette Wine Guide.

The production of Icewine requires 10 times more grapes than needed for dry wine; these wines are perfectly balanced and quite expensive. Icewine is produced under very strick Standads