Take a sweet sip

Eiswein ― ice wine in German ― is made from grapesharvested and pressed while frozen. In Germany, where most eisweinsare produced, freezing conditions at the crucial harvest time areiffy. Limited in supply therefore, the nectar is astronomicallypriced. However, in Canada, where freezing temperatures at harvesttime are more reliable, ice wines are popping up from BritishColumbia to Quebec. Prices, though still lofty, are more modest;availability, though still spotty, is promising.

Leading the pack to bring ice wine to the West is InniskillinWines on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. Its Riesling ice wine(375 ml.) costs $65, its oak-aged Vidal ice wine (375 ml.) $80.Light and delectable for sipping, they’re both exquisite whensplashed over thin-sliced strawberries for a simple dessert. Onceopen, ice wines keep well up to two weeks if chilled airtight. Lookfor them in fine wine shops, call (650) 325-2909, or go to www.inniskillin.com.

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