|
| Page 4 | Book Reviews Non-Fiction |
November 2007 |
|
| Page 4 | Book Reviews Non-Fiction |
November 2007 |
|
Icewine, Extreme Winemaking
 
|
By Alidë Kohlhaas Wine is one of those necessary ingredients that any good meal must include. Different wines go with different dishes. Some people will drink only red, others, only white. Then there is icewine. Where does it fit into the order of meals? Is it only a dessert wine, or can it be taken with a main course? The answer to this can be found in Icewine, Extreme Winemaking, a sumptuously laid out book by two of Canada's most active and well-known winemakers, Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser. The book with a glossy snow white cover and shiny gold lettering has a subtitle, in tiny print, 'Luxury Begins At ...... -10 ◦C', a title I like much better than Extreme Winemaking because the latter smacks of the fad associated these days with the word extreme in sports and other activities. Icewine is the wine for which Canada has become famous. It even persuaded the French and the Germans that we can make wine, and consequently has opened the door abroad for our other wine products. To some, icewine is the ultimate luxury experience in wine, putting champagne way in the shadows. As a great fan of Canadian wines, not just icewine, we will serve only wines in our home that are a product of this country. Icewine, however, holds a special place in our hearts. We like various types of icewine. There is icewine made from Riesling grapes—the traditional grape used when this form of wine was first created in Germany in the late 18th century out of necessity—and then there is that made from the Vidal grape, and in more recent times even Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer and others. There is even sparkling icewine. Canadian icewine has some very definable characters that makes it, in our minds, much superior to the German Eiswein, or the French Vin du glace. No matter what Canadian variety we choose, we find it has more body, more aroma, and lingers longer on the tongue than icewine made elsewhere. Ontario's icewines differs from those made in British Columbia's wine regions, yet both provinces, because of Canada's climate, soil and approach to winemaking, produce products that are now the talk of wine connoisseurs around the globe. Ziraldo and Kaiser, who were the first to take their icewines to international wine fairs, bringing home gold prizes that changed a whole industry. Their success helped to increase the number of winemakers in this country who invested in this expensive process. And, as Canada's icewine gains more and more recognition, winemakers around the globe have started an attempt to cash in on this luxury item, which is now especially prized in Russia and Asian countries. There, a new class of people with more disposable income, want icewine whether they really know anything about wine or not, and are prepared to pay a lot of money for it. That is a personal observation. Ziraldo and Kaiser make no such disparaging comments about possible foreign producers or buyers of icewine.
The authors' book of 192 pages is packed with information about the history of icewine here and abroad, about how it is made, under what circumstances, how its quality is ensured. For someone who is not familiar with what it takes to make icewine, it is an eye-opener. And for those who have been enjoying icewine for years, it refreshes their knowledge of how this noble, golden wine is produced, and adds to their ken about its history. Even the type of wine glass used makes a difference. Something worth keeping in mind. Sometimes the book becomes a little technical, other times it is engagingly entertaining. The photographs and graphics add to the book's enjoyment. The images pick up on the lushness of the wine, its seductiveness. Finally, there is a section on how to cook with icewine, and what type of icewine to serve with what dish. It is illuminating for anyone who enjoys cooking and eating, for in no way is icewine reserved for dessert only. |
