Ontario's first organic winery

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The Holiday Season is upon us. It’s a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy special foods and wines.

It’s also a great time to serve dessert wines.

There are numerous sweet and semi-sweet wines throughout the world which fall under the category of dessert wine. Roughly they can be grouped as follows:

  • Sparkling Dessert Wine (e.g., Asti Spumante, Sparkling Vouvray, Demi-Sec Riesling (Sekt), Demi-Sec Traditional Method Sparkling Wine made in many wine regions)
  • Lightly Sweet Dessert Wine (Alsatian Gewürztraminer or German Riesling, Moscato)
  • Richly Sweet Dessert Wine (Passito wines like Vin Santo, Icewine, Sauternes, TBA Riesling, Aszü Tokaji)
  • Sweet Red Wine (e.g., Recioto della Valpolicella, Brachetto d’Acqui, Late Harvest Red Wines)
  • Fortified Wine (e.g., Sherry, Rutherglen Muscat, Port, Madeira, Vin Doux Naturel from France)

Food Pairings

Pairing dessert wines with food can be tricky but if your keep this rule of thumb in mind, you won’t go wrong.

The Rule: The wine has to sweeter than the dessert food you are serving.

Ontario is a world leader in the production of a particular dessert wine – Icewine.

Did you know? Icewine can only be made when grapes naturally freeze in the vineyard at a minimum -8°C. Popular varieties include Riesling, Vidal, and Cabernet Franc.

Organic Cabernet Franc Icewine

Typical pairings with Icewine:

  • fruity desserts
  • cheesecake
  • ice cream
  • soft cheeses like Brie
  • blue cheeses such as Stilton
  • walnuts
  • dried fruit

Tasting Note ~ Cabernet Franc Icewine

Sweet, medium bodied, with pronounced raisin, fig, date and dried cherry flavours.

Icewine Cocktail

An ounce of Icewine topped with dry Sparkling Wine. Add some frozen berries for pizzaz.

Blackcurrants

Another favourite dessert wine at Frogpond Farm is Love Child.

This is wine is a blend of organic black currants – cassis – from Quebec with our Organic Cabernet Franc Wine. The result is simply delicious! Less sweet than Icewine, loaded with blackcurrant flavour and tangy acidity, this wine should be served chilled.

It’s not too late too order these wines online or drop by the winery store.

Wishing you the best of the season!