Canada’s cure for summer heat

Icewine is Red Hot

As the heat waves start rolling this summer, cool off with a bottle of Canadian icewine, as cold and refreshing as the country’s below-zero temperatures, minus the frostbite. Icewine is made from frozen grapes (by law they can only be harvested when the temperature is under 18°F) that are hand-picked. The super-concentrated juice is then gently pressed out of them to create the sweet, high-acid, magically delicious wine that has become famous around the world. On average, icewines range from 12.5 to 20 percent residual sugar, but their super high acidity level keeps the wine refreshing instead of syrupy sweet. Icewines can be white or red. The white versions are generally based on riesling or vidal blanc grapes; the red versions, on cabernet franc. And while you can drink them alone as desserts themselves, icewines also pair well with all kinds of food, from salty cheeses like aged cheddar to fruit-based desserts like strawberry trifle for white icewines and bittersweet chocolate truffle cake for red icewines. To see more delectable food pairings, visit top icewine producer Inniskillin’s website, where Estate Chef David Penny shares his pairing tips and recipes. Some of our favorite icewines: MISSION HILL WINERY Reserve Riesling Icewine (Okanagan Valley, Canada) $59 (375ml half bottle) INNISKILLIN Riesling Icewine (Okanagan Valley, Canada) $60 (375ml half bottle) PELLER ESTATES WINERY Cabernet Franc Icewine (Niagara Peninsula, Canada) $49 (200ml bottle)  www.teambluesky.ca