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:

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

Icewine Wine with beef:

     • tripe

Icewine Wine with breads:

     • crackers: anchovy
     • biscuits

Icewine Wine with cheese:

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

Icewine Wine with chicken/poultry:

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

Icewine Wine with desserts:

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

Icewine Wine with ethnic dishes:

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

Icewine Wine with lamb:

     • lamb: glazed rack with woodland mushroom and asparagus risotto

Icewine Wine with nuts:

     • toasted salty
     • almonds
     • hazelnuts

Icewine Wine with pasta:

     • risotto: warm apple with pancetta

Icewine Wine with pork:

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

Icewine Wine with seafood & shellfish:

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

Icewine Wine with snacks:

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

Icewine Wine with turkey holiday dinner:

     • pie: pecan
     • stuffing: pecan