By Joseph Temple

The Dominion of Canada is known around the world for many things: poutine, ice hockey and maple syrup just to name a few.  But what about wine?  With images of cascading snow and sub-zero temperatures, most people generally may not put the words wine and Canada in the same sentence.  So it might come as a surprise to some that in the Great White North, everything from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir is harvested.  That’s because just as 75% of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border, so lies a majority of its vineyards.  In Ontario, the frigid winters are moderated by two of the Great Lakes while in British Columbia, the Okanagan Valley allows the province to grow grapes similar to Napa and Sonoma.

Of course, the undisputed crown jewel of Canadian viticulture is Icewine.  Writer Tony Aspler notes, “Of all the wines made in Canada, Icewine is the wine the world knows best …  It appears on the exclusive wine lists of the world’s best restaurants, and you can now buy it in India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York City, London, Rome and Paris.  It’s the luxury gift that everyone loves to give and receive.”

Thrust onto the global stage in 1991 after the Inniskillin Winery won the Grand Prix d’Honneur, Canada is now the world’s largest producer of this dessert wine, surpassing both Germany and Austria. But before you buy a bottle, here’s five important things you should know about this great Canadian export:

By Dominic Rivard from Bangkok, Thailand (icewine grapes3) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Icewine harvest methods differ in that the grapes are left on the vines long after all the regular grapes are picked.  In order to start the process, temperatures must drop to -8°C (18°F) or below for at least 24 hours.  Picking the grapes by hand before sunrise and basket-pressed immediately, the juice usually settles for three to four days before fermentation.  Due to age and temperature, it is highly concentrated with each grape yielding only a drop or two.  That’s why Icewine vintners in Ontario only produce around 65,000 cases per season.
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By CJ (Flickr: Ice Wine Vidal Grapes) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Unlike German Eiswein, which uses mostly Riesling, the dominant grape variety for Canadian Icewine is Vidal [Blanc].  With its thick skin and ability to withstand the freezing temperatures without cracking, this hybrid is widely cultivated across Ontario for the winter harvest.  However, there are some Icewine vintners who have also started using other grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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By Craig Hatfield [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Without question, Niagara is the mecca for Icewine production in Canada.  With its hot summers, the grapes in this region contain on average a higher concentration of sugar and sweeter musts than German Eiswein.  And during the annual harvest, the freezing temperatures produce usually between 35° to 39° Brix, creating a sweet libation with a long finish and aromas that include dried fruits, apricots and honey.

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With Canadian Icewine being extremely popular abroad, a growing counterfeit market has popped up from Shanghai to Western Europe.  Now, if you’re buying a bottle directly from the winery or at a Canadian liquor store, you have nothing to worry about.  But overseas, you should be aware of cheap knockoffs.  One way to check is by looking for the VQA logo on the bottle, which stands for the Vintners Quality Alliance—the regulatory system for Canadian wines.

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By Craig Hatfield [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

As Icewine has gained in popularity across the world, it comes as no surprise that the Canadian government makes sure their producers follow a strict set of rules and regulations in order to maintain its reputation for quality.  In Ontario, any winery that violates the VQA Act can be subject to up to $100,000 in fines.  Additionally, in the year 2000, the Austria, Canada and Germany Wine Industry Association Agreement was signed into law, requiring each nation to use only the traditional and labor-intensive method for making Icewine, pledging never to use industrial freezers or any other shortcuts.

Sources:

Alig, Peter. The Everything Guide to Wine: From tasting tips to vineyard tours and everything in between. Avon: Adams Media, 2010.
Aspler, Tony. Canadian Wineries. Toronto: Firefly Books, 2013.
Cantor, Joanna. Fodor’s 2008 Toronto: With Niagara Falls & the Niagara Wine Region. New York: Random House, 2008.
Henderson, J. & Rex, Dellie. About Wine. Clifton Park: Cengage Learning, 2011.
Schriener, John. The Wines of Canada. London: Octopus Publishing, 2005.
Veseth, Mike. Extreme Wine: Searching the World for the Best, the Worst, the Outrageously Cheap, the Insanely Overpriced, and the Undiscovered. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.

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Question: What do the terms racking, fining, and filtering mean in wine making?

Answer: Racking is the separation of the wine from the sediment that with time settles in the bottom of the tank or barrel. Usually done by hoses transferring it to another clean tank or barrel.

Fining is the addition of some substance (could be egg whites) to the wine to clear it of particles which are floating or in the wine itself.

Filtering is actually passing the wine through a filter. Controversial because depending on the filter size can strip the wine of important elements.

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By Joseph Temple

Hot.  Sun.  Long weekends.  Beach Vacations.  Fireworks.  BBQs.  The only thing better than an outdoor meal on a lazy summer day is the refreshing cocktail that comes with it.  So here are ten fun ways to cool down with wine this August.  Try these flavor combinations over ice or blended for a frozen treat.  Fresh juices give the best flavor.  Have fun with the garnishes and glassware.  This is your chance to be creative and impress your guests with a new twist on a classic glass of wine.

1. Shiraz + Vodka + Lemon-lime Soda

2. Merlot + Brandy + Orange Juice

3. Pinot Grigio + Tequila + Citrus Juice Blend

4. Rosé + White Rum + Fruit Punch

5. Muscat + Orange Liqueur + Peach Juice

6. Sparkling Wine + Vanilla Vodka + Peach Juice

7. Zinfandel + Strawberry Vodka + Club Soda

8. Gewürztraminer + Pineapple Juice + Ginger Beer

9. Rosé + Cherry Liqueur + Lime Soda

10. Chardonnay + Cinnamon Whiskey + Apple Juice

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Question: What is a pipe of port?

Answer: Before port bottling in Portugal it was produced and shipped out for export in large chestnut or oak barrels (pipes) of 534 litres size. In former times merchants or high rollers might order a pipe of port (often vintage) for long aging. Today a pipe of port usually means 720 bottles (60 dozen) – a very large order indeed!

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By Joseph Temple

Mention America’s sparkling wine industry and many will inevitably point to the state of California.  According to a recent FoxNews.com article, eight of the ten best bottles of bubbly were produced in the Golden State from Mumm Napa to Schramsberg Vineyards.  So, it will probably come as a bit of a shock to some that the country’s first successfully sold sparkling wine was produced in Ohio.

That’s right!  

Ohio, a state often associated with tire factories, the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and passionate football fans was once the country’s largest wine growing region.  Producing over 570,000 gallons per year by 1859—more than double that of California—the Buckeye State was responsible for over a third of the national total.  And it all got started in Cincinnati when sparkling wine was discovered by sheer accident.

The story began when Nicholas Longworth, a wealthy and eccentric businessman from New Jersey arrived on the northern banks of the Ohio River.  Hoping to be the first to successfully grow Vitis vinifera grapes in the New World, his efforts—just like those before him—ended in disappointment as European rootstocks failed to flourish in the United States during the 1800s.  However, one hybrid varietal that “Old Nick” seized upon was Catawba, a lilac colored grape high in acidity that generated musky flavors often associated with labrusca varieties.   According to historian Thomas Pinney, “In Longworth’s hands, and for a time in the hands of others who tended the vineyards in and around Cincinnati, the Catawba seemed to fulfill at last the long-held hope that America might have a wine of its own.”

Drawing of Longworth’s vineyard next to the Ohio River.

Beginning his first commercial vineyard in the early 1820s with a local German-American customer base, it took nearly twenty years before Longworth struck gold after accidentally fermenting some of his Catawba for a second time.  The result was a bubbly version that dwarfed his previous bottles in terms of quality. Thus, he decided to enlist the help of French Champagne makers to duplicate this accomplishment.  As Longworth explicitly told his assistants, he was never out to duplicate the sparkling wines of Europe, but instead, to create the “pure article, having the peculiar flavor of our native grape.”  Although an astonishing eighty-four percent of all bottles burst in early production,  “Sparkling Catawba” became a huge hit, putting Ohio on the winemaking map.

“Far superior to any sparkling wine which Europe can boast, whether they came from the Rhine or Moselle, or from the champagne districts of France,” wrote the Illustrated London News.  With this sparkling success being sold across the world, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow memorialized both Cincinnati (nicknamed the “Queen City”) and its grapes in his famous poem Catawba Wine:

While pure as a spring
Is the wine I sing,
And to praise it, one needs but name it;
For Catawba wine
Has need of no sign,
No tavern-bush to proclaim it.

And this Song of the Vine,
This greeting of mine,
The winds and the birds shall deliver
To the Queen of the West,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the Beautiful River.

More than a century and a half later, while not the powerhouse it once was, Ohio still remains one of the country’s top ten wine producing states with five designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).  So if you’re looking to party like it’s 1859, open up a bottle of Ohio sparkling Catawba and experience a true taste of American wine history!

Left: Nicholas Longworth. Right: Menu showing Sparkling Catawba under Champagnes.

Sources:

Fauchald, Nick. (2004, June 28). The Father of American Sparkling Wine. Wine Spectator. Retrieved from http://www.winespectator.com
Pinney, Thomas. The Makers of American Wine: A Record of Two Hundred Years. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012.
Taller, Claudia. Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2011.

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