Cool Icewines

Written by Evan Saviolidis | 30 December 2009

I still remember it as if it was yesterday. The date was September 16th, 1996. The event was my first day on the job at a Niagara-on-the Lake winery. Wet behind the ears, and eager to learn all things vinous, I was expecting glamorous tastings, tonnes of leisurely strolls in the lush vineyards and a plethora of discussions with wine lovers. Ah, youthful naiveté!

Not even five minutes on the job, and the first tourist bus pulled up. My boss whispered in my ear, “Watch this.” And out came 50 Japanese tourists on a whirlwind tour of Canada. They stepped up to the tasting bar and proceeded to purchase Icewine, by the case, at $500 a pop! Fifteen minutes later the tornado left and restocking began. My exact words to him, after returning from my proverbial Kansas were, “What the hell just happened?” He told me that ever since Inniskillin had won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo for its Icewine, Japanese consumers, seeking the best in all things libation, have been knocking on Canada’s viticultural door. Making it even more attractive for them was price — $45 a bottle at the winery, versus $300 back home. By the end of the day, another eight buses had pulled in and out, with the same results.

I asked Debi Pratt, director of Public Relations at Inniskillin, if the same conditions still exist today. “Gone are those good old days,” was her response. “At that time, we had groups of large buses with, for the most part, Japanese tourists. In fact, we had up to 30,000 per year, about 10% of our visitation. However, in early 2000, the Japanese economy started to decline, and then with 9/11 and SARS, the number of Japanese tourists declined as well. So now, we not only see smaller buses being used, with capacities of 15 to 20 people, but our clientele also includes Chinese and Korean visitors.”

Looking at the global picture, Daniel Speck, co-owner of the family-run winery, Henry of Pelham, had this to say: “Premium luxury products all over the world are off by anywhere from 14 to 18 per cent in most categories, sometimes higher, from handbags to hooch. For example, leading Champagne brands in Ontario are seeing similar dips in sales, some even worse. Icewine, as a category, has held on better than most but is still down around 6% in Ontario.”

To remain competitive, many of the producers I talked with have adjusted their prices accordingly. Others are working with new packaging or bundling Icewine to offer greater value. Also, many stated that they would be tweaking production downward in 2009.

With this in mind, I asked both if they felt the market had become fatigued with the liquid ice. Their answer, a resounding “No!”

“Any softness in the marketplace is directly attributable to the global financial issues — causing people to be a little bit slower to spend. Consumers are learning to use it in different ways (martinis) and with exciting non-traditional food pairings,” says Pratt. Speck added, “The market isn’t fatigued so much as it is uninformed as to how one should consume Icewine. Do you drink it before a meal? (I say yes, with savoury foods.) After? (As long as it’s with cheese, on its own or, if you must, with desserts that aren’t very sweet.) Or should it be mixed or sipped? (Depends on the variety/quality).

Regardless of the current state of affairs, producers are very enthused with the two most recent vintages — 2007 and 2008. Stylistically, both show excellent fruit character, with the 2007s being more opulent and intense due to the incredible heat that year. The 2008s are more elegant with higher acid levels, giving focus to the wines. Whatever your preference, quality is present, which means good times — and bottles — are ahead.