Icewine Wine Pairing

Icewine is produced when grapes are left on the vine well past the regular harvest into the cold winter months. These grapes are picked at -8 degree Celsius or 18 degrees Farenheit and then pressed while still frozen. Canada and Germany are most famous for this dessert wine. In Canada, it's called icewine whereas in Germany it's eiswein. Canadian vintners use both the vidal and riesling grapes while Germany uses mostly riesling, which has more balancing acidity for this sweet wine. This wine has a medium to full body, with a long finish and surprisingly low alcohol of, on average, just 10%. The aromas include tropical fruit such as pineapple, mango, melon, apricot, lychee as well as honey. Icewine is especially lovely with fruit-based desserts, flans, cobblers, biscotti, nuts, foie gras, cheeses and dishes with a touch of sweetness such as glazed ham.

Icewine Wine with appetizers:

     • antipasto plate
     • canapes: salt cod
     • foie gras: sauteed with apples
     • pate
     • ricotta: baked on toast
     • tapenade

Icewine Wine with beef:

     • tripe

Icewine Wine with breads:

     • biscuits
     • crackers: anchovy

Icewine Wine with cheese:

     • blue cheese
     • blue: paradise
     • brie
     • cheddar
     • Ermite
     • gorgonzola
     • Mascarpone
     • Montbriac
     • rocquefort
     • Saint Andre
     • Triple Cream

Icewine Wine with chicken/poultry:

     • chicken liver parfait
     • duck confit with apricot relish
     • duck with oranges and peaches
     • duck, glazed with fennel crusted cauliflower and potato
     • foie gras
     • foie gras and rhubarb terrine
     • goose with oranges and peaches

Icewine Wine with desserts:

     • bananas: fried
     • berries and fruit: fresh
     • biscotti: chocolate covered
     • brulee: creme
     • cake: fruit
     • cake: nut based
     • cakes: honey
     • chocolate hearts with cream filling
     • chocolate: white
     • cobbler: apricot
     • cobbler: fruit-based
     • creams
     • crepes suzette
     • custard
     • desserts: fruit-based
     • flans: fruit
     • fruit: baked
     • fruit: caramelized
     • fruit: dipped in chocolate
     • fruit: poached
     • mousse: chocolate (dark)
     • mousse: chocolate (light)
     • nanaimo bars: chocolate
     • peaches
     • pears stuffed with blue cheese
     • pie: fruit
     • pie: mince
     • pie: mince with brandy butter
     • pie: pumpkin
     • pudding: bread & butter
     • puddings: fruit-based
     • souffle: lemon
     • souffle: sweet
     • strudels: fruit
     • syllabubs
     • tarts: fruit
     • tiramisu
     • treacle

Icewine Wine with ethnic dishes:

     • Asian Dishes
     • Cajun dishes
     • Creole dishes
     • curry dishes
     • sashimi
     • sashimi: anago
     • sashimi: eel
     • sashimi: sea urchin
     • sashimi: tuna
     • Thai dishes
     • vegetable rolls: Asian

Icewine Wine with lamb:

     • lamb: glazed rack with woodland mushroom and asparagus risotto

Icewine Wine with nuts:

     • almonds
     • hazelnuts
     • toasted salty

Icewine Wine with pasta:

     • risotto: warm apple with pancetta

Icewine Wine with pork:

     • pork & apples/applesauce
     • pork cooked with prunes and cream

Icewine Wine with seafood & shellfish:

     • crab cakes with spicy tartar sauce
     • lobster terrine
     • lobster: poached: with chocolate tagliatelle, smoked scallops and parmesan
     • salmon: cured with three melon and black fig salad
     • salmon: smoked with spinach and anchovy butter
     • scallop ceviche with verjus pickled summer vegetables
     • shrimp: grilled skewers with Asian spice

Icewine Wine with snacks:

     • donuts: jelly-filled
     • donuts: plain
     • donuts: with honey
     • donuts: with sprinkles
     • rice krispies squares

Icewine Wine with turkey holiday dinner:

     • pie: pecan
     • stuffing: pecan