Tzafona Vidal Ice Wine
Canada’s Niagra Peninsula, many argue, is the natural home for production of ice wine, one of the world’s iconic sweet wines. Harvesting and pressing the grapes on the day of the first frost of winter means that the grapes have reached maximum, raisiny ripeness but the freezing also locks in freshness. This stuff is nectar!
£42.00
Only 3 left in stock
10% off when you buy 12 or more wines
| Body | Medium Bodied |
|---|---|
| Colour / Style | White, Sweet / Dessert |
| Grape | Vidal |
| Region | Niagra |
| Country | Canada |
| Dietary | Kosher, Mevushal |
| Method | Ice wine |
| Pack detail | 37.5cl, Half Bottle |
| ABV | Lower Alcohol Wine, ABV 12% |
In ancient Hebrew, Tzafona means northward, and true to its name this winery captures the cold and pure essence of Canada’s flagship appellation, the Niagra peninsula. Tzafona’s Vidal Icewine has intense aromas of honey, apricot and peaches with a perfect balance of acidity and texture on the palate.
To develop sweetness in wine, one trick is to allow the grapes to ripen as much as possible. Originally these techniques were evolved in Germany allowing grapes to ripen later (spätlese) and still later (auslese) to develop rich, sweet, raisin deep qualities. The sweetest and deepest of all were picked at the last possible occasion before the grapes were ruined – the day of the first frost of winter. The grapes are then crushed while frozen.
But the challenge in Germany is that the frost doesn’t always come before the grapes have rotted! Not in Niagra, Canada, however. Here the first frost of winter come sooner and is predictable almost to the day.
The ideal way to try Niagran ice wine is with another Canadian delicacy: candied salmon – salmon hot-smoked with a maple syrup glaze. If you can’t get hold of that, try hot-smoked trout or salmon. It’s equally good with blue cheese or pecan pie.
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