A unique dessert wine that displays lively characteristics of orange zest, candied mango, and floral tones. With a rich palate of apple, ginger and cider.
Winemaking
The frozen Gewurztraminer grapes were harvested in late December when temperatures fell between -10ºC and -13ºC. After setting the juice in stainless steel tanks, cool fermentation was completed. The wine was then placed outside to complete a natural cold stabilization.
Pair this with a lychee sorbet or with vanilla ice cream topped with fresh mango.
Bright red in color with aromas of ripe raspberries, red cherries, and strawberries. The palate is complex with sweet cherry flavors followed by jammy characters leading to a finish full of raspberry and strawberry notes. The touch of sweetness is nicely balanced by lively acidity. This wine provides a great harmony between sweetness and spice. Serve chilled to approximately 12°C.
Winemaking
The frozen Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were harvested in late December 2017 when temperatures fell between -10ºC and -13ºC. After settling the juice in stainless steel tanks, cool fermentation was completed in late February when the wine was placed outdoors to stop fermentation and to complete natural cold stabilization. The wine was stored in solely stainless steel for a period of 8 months before being filtered and then bottled.
Enjoy with a fresh strawberry tart topped with whipped cream or a slice of cherry cheesecake!
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Cabernet Saugivnon
Appellation: Niagra Peninsula, Canada
Alcohol: 11%
Bottle Size: 187ml
• Handpicked Frozen Grapes Capture Concentrated Sweetness
• Extremely Limited Production, Not Produced Every Year
The home of Snow Ridge wines prepared with great passion and dedication.
Imagine a wine so rare and luxurious, it’s like nature bottled winter itself. The frozen grapes are handpicked at just the right moment, capturing an incredibly concentrated sweetness. This careful process, along with the small amount of wine produced, makes ice wine a true treasure. It’s not just a treat but a premium indulgence, perfect for those who love the finer things in life.
Icewine, or ‘Eiswein,’ traces its origins to the frosty vineyards of Germany and Austria, with Canada now standing as a premier producer. The grapes are left on the vine well into winter, freezing naturally before being swiftly harvested and pressed. The result? A luscious, sweet wine that’s high in sugar and rich in character.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
WD finally did it! Real icewine from Niagara!
And a great price too!
Now where is my rat bottle? I’ve never heard of this producer.
For those who haven’t had it before, it’s great as dessert on its own or with things that are less sweet. You never want your dessert to be sweeter than the wine so it’s usually best to stick to fruit, cheese, cheesecake, and the like.
@ShotgunX it’s the perfect size for two people (or one thirsty icewine lover) for dessert. In Ontario comparable wines can go for $60+ per half bottle. This stuff is hard to make.
I know ice wines are very labor intensive and that’s why they command a premium.
However, every dessert wine I’ve ever seen was in a 375ml bottle (half of a regular wine bottle).
These are half the size of a half-bottle. Or another way of looking at it… each of these 187ml bottles is basically one glass of wine.
@klezman I know why it’s expensive, but that doesn’t justify the expense for me. Thirty bucks a pour is for a very specific demographic of which I’m not a part.
@kawichris650@ShotgunX shrug. As with all opinions, YMMV.
Most wineries in Niagara sell icewine in 200 ml bottles, fwiw. And a glass of icewine is usually 1-2 oz.
@klezman@ShotgunX you don’t typically pour 6 ounces of this…think of it more like port, sherry, or liqueur. We have little sherry glasses that we would serve this in.
@klezman@ShotgunX@TimW Exactly regarding the serving size. It doesn’t change the price (or your budget) for this (or other icewines), but I’ll get more servings per bottle out of one of these than I will out of a standard bottle of wine.
@klezman@markgm@TimW The difference is that a bottle of good port is like $20-25, and has double the ABV. Here you’re pretty much paying just for the taste alone. If you’re drinking to socialize or entertain, and not doing the whole spit-bucket high-society stuff with your alcohol, this isn’t a good value proposition.
I’m sure it tastes amazing. Like I said, I really wanted to try this because I like dessert wines. But I can go to a local boutique booze shop and get a single bottle of something similar for just a bit more money, and not have to commit to a case. If the twelve-pack went for around eighty bucks, I would’ve bought these for sure.
@WineDavid59 are these kosher? This is the same winery as Tzafona, which is kosher wine, and it says done of this brand is kosher too. If you’re not sure send me pics of the back labels?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Snow Ridge Cold Climate Icewine - $30 = 21.42%
With hours to spare, UPS was a harbinger of the cooler weather that’s just to come. While all eyes were turned to the solar storm in the skies above, I turned my attention to icewines at hand.
I started with the Gewürztraminer. On the nose I immediately got what I would describe as floral honeycomb. There was no alcohol scent at all. For the obvious sweetness, I was surprised at how quickly the legs disappeared. At first sip there was a bit of a kick that I wasn’t expecting, almost like that feeling that grapefruit or perhaps pineapple can give you in the back of the throat. The real taste here though matches the nose, with a well-balanced honey/floral sweetness. While I could see drinking this wine alone, I really see this one going well with something salty, perhaps charcuterie fair. Though in fairness, it didn’t clash with something sweet as well (in the end I went with mango and cheddar).
On to the red! The sky last night started off a dark red to the naked eye, I’ve never seen anything like it! When taking a picture, it appeared purple, and then it transitioned to purple to the naked eye as well.
The red had a similar trick up its sleeve. It had a plum color in my glass, but an aroma of red berries and a taste of tart cherry. My initial thought was to call it a port-lite! Like the white, it has the same legs, and the same balance of sweetness (you’re not drinking a glass of sugar). Since it was obviously hard not to make a side-by-side comparison, I felt like the red had a much less complex flavor, and was more inline with what I would serve as an after-dinner treat that would stand alone. The white, with its complexity, pairs well with a dessert (or other treat) that will light up the taste buds.
I’m quite a fan of icewine (along with port and Federweisser if I’m listing all my sweet grape drinks), and a little goes a long way, as I typically serve it as either an apéritif or digestif (Federweisser is another story, I could drink that stuff by the case).
Good morning my fellow wine enthusiasts. I was excited at another Rat opportunity, so imagine my surprise when not one, but two bottles arrived at my door.
A bottle of Gewürztraminer Icewine and a Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine from Snow Ridge winery on the Niagara Peninsula.
Ice wine is not necessarily in my wheelhouse, as we don’t drink much dessert wine, save for an occasional Port. But I am up for the challenge.
First up, the 2019 Gewürztraminer. This one comes in a cool frosted bottle, very fitting I think and adds to the Ice effect. I decided to not do any dessert pairing with either of these wines, usually wine is our dessert, so fitting that these would stand alone.
After proper chilling to about 40°, the synthetic cork pulled out easily with no crystals or sediment. It has a nice amber honey color, nose was fairly muted, but I did detect white floral notes and canned peaches.
First sip revealed an abundance of tropical fruits (mango, papaya, guava.) The flavors reminded me of chutney or drinking nectar. I also detected a presence of honey and maybe cardamom. The sweetness stayed in check with nice acidity and the floral notes on the finish added with a little lime zest.
I found this very enjoyable from first sip to finish and even came back for more. I feel this would pair well with a plain cheesecake, any vanilla dessert, or peach cobbler/pie. This would also pair nicely with Brie drizzled with honey and toasted almonds.
Now on to the 2017 Cabernet. This offering was enclosed in a clear bottle with the same synthetic cork. The cork actually started to go down in the bottle when applying pressure with corkscrew, so I had to gently extract this one. Again, no sediment or staining. This one poured a lovely rusty copper color.
The nose gave me mission figs, blackberries and cherries. Very inviting.
On the palette I was getting more figs, like Fig Newtons, strawberry rhubarb pie and something bitter like apple peels. I also felt there was a hint of violets and black pepper on the long finish. Again, the acidity balances this wine out nicely.
Dessert pairing for this would be a little more versatile. Any berry or apple dessert would be wonderful, as would chocolate confections or aged cheeses.
These both clock in at 11% ABV, so very approachable as an after dinner drink or paired with sweets. I think these are both quality offerings from Snow Ridge and would recommend if you enjoy dessert wines. I would expect to pay $25-$30 for one of these 187ml bottles.
Excellent rattage on these! In for a case. I haven’t had an icewine in quite a while, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
/giphy cunning-bickering-fork
Do you ever come home from a great dinner at a restaurant, or make yourself a great meal and then, walk out on your deck and feel like a dessert wine - bit don’t want to open a bottle - because you just feel like a glass. Man, how can we not. Ordering now.
2019 Snow Ridge Gewurztraminer Niagara Falls Canada Icewine 187ML
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
2017 Snow Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Niagara Falls Canada Icewine 187ML
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
• Handpicked Frozen Grapes Capture Concentrated Sweetness
• Extremely Limited Production, Not Produced Every Year
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $360/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 4 - Tuesday, Nov 5
Snow Ridge Cold Climate Icewine
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.67/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Snow Ridge Gewurztraminer Icewine
2017 Snow Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine
/giphy plump-meaningful-fritter
Never seen or had a Cabernet ice wine before so this will be new in my palette. But they sound yummy so in for the small one
@Cerridwyn I’ve had more cab franc icewine than cab sauv, but both can be excellent.
WD finally did it! Real icewine from Niagara!
And a great price too!
Now where is my rat bottle? I’ve never heard of this producer.
For those who haven’t had it before, it’s great as dessert on its own or with things that are less sweet. You never want your dessert to be sweeter than the wine so it’s usually best to stick to fruit, cheese, cheesecake, and the like.
@klezman hey I didn’t get one either. But I’ll take the risk
I want this so bad, but the bottles are so tiny, lol.
You’re basically getting 3 bottles of wine for $110.
@ShotgunX it’s the perfect size for two people (or one thirsty icewine lover) for dessert. In Ontario comparable wines can go for $60+ per half bottle. This stuff is hard to make.
@ShotgunX
My thoughts exactly.
I know ice wines are very labor intensive and that’s why they command a premium.
However, every dessert wine I’ve ever seen was in a 375ml bottle (half of a regular wine bottle).
These are half the size of a half-bottle. Or another way of looking at it… each of these 187ml bottles is basically one glass of wine.
For scale:
@klezman I know why it’s expensive, but that doesn’t justify the expense for me. Thirty bucks a pour is for a very specific demographic of which I’m not a part.
@kawichris650 @ShotgunX shrug. As with all opinions, YMMV.
Most wineries in Niagara sell icewine in 200 ml bottles, fwiw. And a glass of icewine is usually 1-2 oz.
@klezman @ShotgunX you don’t typically pour 6 ounces of this…think of it more like port, sherry, or liqueur. We have little sherry glasses that we would serve this in.
@klezman @ShotgunX @TimW Exactly regarding the serving size. It doesn’t change the price (or your budget) for this (or other icewines), but I’ll get more servings per bottle out of one of these than I will out of a standard bottle of wine.
@klezman @markgm @TimW The difference is that a bottle of good port is like $20-25, and has double the ABV. Here you’re pretty much paying just for the taste alone. If you’re drinking to socialize or entertain, and not doing the whole spit-bucket high-society stuff with your alcohol, this isn’t a good value proposition.
I’m sure it tastes amazing. Like I said, I really wanted to try this because I like dessert wines. But I can go to a local boutique booze shop and get a single bottle of something similar for just a bit more money, and not have to commit to a case. If the twelve-pack went for around eighty bucks, I would’ve bought these for sure.
@WineDavid59 are these kosher? This is the same winery as Tzafona, which is kosher wine, and it says done of this brand is kosher too. If you’re not sure send me pics of the back labels?
@klezman The '17 CS on their site shows kosher, and sold out. The GW also SO, but not listed in their kosher filter.
@klezman @rjquillin
Was just coming to say the same.
So…yes (CS), and no (G)?
@karenhynes @klezman looks that way
no trade, bottle shots, or labs
@karenhynes @rjquillin yes, I already looked there. That’s why I’m asking WD!
@karenhynes @klezman @rjquillin Somebody call the winery!
@InFrom @karenhynes @klezman @rjquillin wines are not kosher. dern.
@InFrom @karenhynes @rjquillin @Winedavid59 Oh well…I guess my orthodox friend won’t be splitting a case with me then!
/giphy Tyrannical-prudish-jupiter
For the record I’m not part of that demographic either. I’m part of the 6 kids demo. You only live once. Less than $10… enjoy life a wee bit.
/giphy lethal-joyous-thrill
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Snow Ridge Cold Climate Icewine - $30 = 21.42%
Just the thing to get me ready for hibernation.
/giphy drowsy-feverish-catfish
With hours to spare, UPS was a harbinger of the cooler weather that’s just to come. While all eyes were turned to the solar storm in the skies above, I turned my attention to icewines at hand.
I started with the Gewürztraminer. On the nose I immediately got what I would describe as floral honeycomb. There was no alcohol scent at all. For the obvious sweetness, I was surprised at how quickly the legs disappeared. At first sip there was a bit of a kick that I wasn’t expecting, almost like that feeling that grapefruit or perhaps pineapple can give you in the back of the throat. The real taste here though matches the nose, with a well-balanced honey/floral sweetness. While I could see drinking this wine alone, I really see this one going well with something salty, perhaps charcuterie fair. Though in fairness, it didn’t clash with something sweet as well (in the end I went with mango and cheddar).
On to the red! The sky last night started off a dark red to the naked eye, I’ve never seen anything like it! When taking a picture, it appeared purple, and then it transitioned to purple to the naked eye as well.
The red had a similar trick up its sleeve. It had a plum color in my glass, but an aroma of red berries and a taste of tart cherry. My initial thought was to call it a port-lite! Like the white, it has the same legs, and the same balance of sweetness (you’re not drinking a glass of sugar). Since it was obviously hard not to make a side-by-side comparison, I felt like the red had a much less complex flavor, and was more inline with what I would serve as an after-dinner treat that would stand alone. The white, with its complexity, pairs well with a dessert (or other treat) that will light up the taste buds.
I’m quite a fan of icewine (along with port and Federweisser if I’m listing all my sweet grape drinks), and a little goes a long way, as I typically serve it as either an apéritif or digestif (Federweisser is another story, I could drink that stuff by the case).
@markgm Nice shot of the N. lights (and the icewine too
) thanks for the rattage
@markgm nice rattage!
Good morning my fellow wine enthusiasts. I was excited at another Rat opportunity, so imagine my surprise when not one, but two bottles arrived at my door.
A bottle of Gewürztraminer Icewine and a Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine from Snow Ridge winery on the Niagara Peninsula.
Ice wine is not necessarily in my wheelhouse, as we don’t drink much dessert wine, save for an occasional Port. But I am up for the challenge.
First up, the 2019 Gewürztraminer. This one comes in a cool frosted bottle, very fitting I think and adds to the Ice effect. I decided to not do any dessert pairing with either of these wines, usually wine is our dessert, so fitting that these would stand alone.
After proper chilling to about 40°, the synthetic cork pulled out easily with no crystals or sediment. It has a nice amber honey color, nose was fairly muted, but I did detect white floral notes and canned peaches.
First sip revealed an abundance of tropical fruits (mango, papaya, guava.) The flavors reminded me of chutney or drinking nectar. I also detected a presence of honey and maybe cardamom. The sweetness stayed in check with nice acidity and the floral notes on the finish added with a little lime zest.
I found this very enjoyable from first sip to finish and even came back for more. I feel this would pair well with a plain cheesecake, any vanilla dessert, or peach cobbler/pie. This would also pair nicely with Brie drizzled with honey and toasted almonds.
Now on to the 2017 Cabernet. This offering was enclosed in a clear bottle with the same synthetic cork. The cork actually started to go down in the bottle when applying pressure with corkscrew, so I had to gently extract this one. Again, no sediment or staining. This one poured a lovely rusty copper color.
The nose gave me mission figs, blackberries and cherries. Very inviting.
On the palette I was getting more figs, like Fig Newtons, strawberry rhubarb pie and something bitter like apple peels. I also felt there was a hint of violets and black pepper on the long finish. Again, the acidity balances this wine out nicely.
Dessert pairing for this would be a little more versatile. Any berry or apple dessert would be wonderful, as would chocolate confections or aged cheeses.
These both clock in at 11% ABV, so very approachable as an after dinner drink or paired with sweets. I think these are both quality offerings from Snow Ridge and would recommend if you enjoy dessert wines. I would expect to pay $25-$30 for one of these 187ml bottles.
1:
1:
@smoothie72 excellent rattage! Are you sure this type of wine isn’t in your wheelhouse??
Could either of the rats post a pic of the backs of the bottles?
@klezman Here you go!
@markgm merci beaucoup
Excellent rattage on these! In for a case. I haven’t had an icewine in quite a while, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
/giphy cunning-bickering-fork
Running low on desert wines, count me in
/giphy tasteful-great-gunslinger
Anybody in SoCal want to split? Much as the price is amazing I really shouldn’t do a full case.
@klezman sure, if it can go to you
@rjquillin
@klezman
restricted-naughty-stranger
/giphy thrilling-gross-border
Ice wine! I’m always in for a good ice wine deal!
/giphy wary-queenly-salamander
Do you ever come home from a great dinner at a restaurant, or make yourself a great meal and then, walk out on your deck and feel like a dessert wine - bit don’t want to open a bottle - because you just feel like a glass. Man, how can we not. Ordering now.