Canadians didn't invent icewine — but we did perfect it
The key is the frozen grape.
Although Canada didn't invent icewine, the country has certainly mastered the craft of making it. Canada produces over a million litres of icewine every year, one quarter of which is exported around the world.
For Inniskillin winemaker Bruce Nicholson, each year is filled with harvesting, pressing and distilling orchards of grapes into one of Canada's sweetest exports.
Inniskillin produces about 200,000 litres of icewine every year, exporting two-thirds of their product to over 86 countries around the world. They've attracted international acclaim, even winning the prestigious Grand Prix d'Honneur at France's , Vinexpo in 1991.
We didn't invent icewine, we just perfected it.- Inniskillin winemaker Bruce Nicholson
According to Nicholson, the key to icewine's unique taste is the frozen grape. Wineries hold off harvesting until the winter, when the water and juice within each grape has separated. They then press the fruits to collect the concentrated juice within.
Join chef Ricardo Larrivée as he tours the winery in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and explores the intricacies of this wintry beverage.