The best of Ontario Icewine 2008


Press Release
January 27, 2008

THE NIAGARA ICEWINE FESTIVAL 2008, the most important event devoted to marvelous Ontario Icewine, has traditionally culminated with the Xerox Images of Winter Icewine Gala that first time ever has taken place at the grand banquet hall of Casino Niagara Fallsview, Niagara Falls. The invited company has enjoyed tasting wines and watching the performance of Circus of Niagara.

I am giving you my traditional Festival Icewine Rating, undoubtedly useful for picking a wine as a present, of just for tasting. Now your choice is going to be conscious and qualified. Within the space of just two days, my crew and I have tasted as many as 52 Icewines of more then 30 vendors. The evaluation criterions were: how good the grape genus is, how good the wine’s quality is for its class of the product. I have developed the evaluation scale by as many as 18 indexes. The maximum rate is 100 (as that of Parker’s).

Please note that the wines are grouped according to their original grape’s genus. The term ‘Vinifera’ here means that the wine has been made out of very rare grape, e.g. Shiraz Icewine, as well as Merlot, that are of real rarity. As for the Vidal grape, there have been more than 30 wines by 20 vendors; it appears to be the most frequent grape genus for making Icewine.

And then, of all the wines that have been present, I have made a choice of the best three, which I highly advice as the most exceptional and nectarous products of Canada’s vilification, the magnificent fruits of our winegrowers’ efforts and talent.

Best Wines of the Icewine Gala 2008

Best Vidal Icewine No Oak
Chateau des Charmes 2006 Vidal Icewine
Legends Estates 2005 Vidal Icewine
Mike Weir 2006 Vidal Icewine
Flat Rock Cellars 2006 Sweet Revenge Vidal Icewine
Hillebrand 2006 Trius Vidal Icewine

Best Aged Vidal Icewine
Maleta Estate 2003 First Frost Last Grape Canadian Oak Vidal Icewine
Maleta Estate 2002 First Frost Last Grape American Oak Vidal Icewine

Best Riesling Icewine
Vineland Estate 2002 Riesling Icewine
Peller Estates 2006 Signature SeriesRiesling Icewine
Fielding Estate Winery 2006 Rieslling Icewine
Colio Estate 2003 Riesling Icewine

Best Gewurztraminer Icewine
JJackson-Triggs 2006 Proprietors Grand Reserve Gewurztraminer Icewine
Lakeview Cellars Estate 2002 Gewurztraminer Icewine
Palatine Hills 2004 Gewurztraminer Icewine

Best Cabernet Fran Icewine
Peller Estates 2006 Signature Series Cabernet Franc Icewine
20 Bees 2005 Cabernet Franc Icebees Icewine
Magnotta 2006 Cabernet Franc Icewine VQA
Strewn Winery 2004 Cabernet Fran Icewine

Best Vinifera Icewine
Pillitteri Estates 2006 Semillion Icewine
Konzelmann 2006 Shiraz Icewine
Konzelmann 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine

Best Sparkling Icewine
Inniskillin 2005 Sparkling Vidal Icewine

The best of the best of Icewine Gala Event 2008
Pillitteri Estates 2006 Semillion Icewine (winemaker Dr. Marc Bradshaw)
Inniskillin 2005 Sparkling Vidal Icewine (winemaker consultant Karl Kaiser)
Konzelmann 2006 Shiraz Icewine (winemaker Herbert Konzelmann)
Peller Estates 2006 Signature SeriesRiesling Icewine