Full Review

Wagner Vineyards

Wagner Vineyards
2021 Ice, Riesling, Finger Lakes

Pair this wine with:
Dessert

Category: Ice Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.9% RS: 15.05%
92 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$29
2023 New York Wine Classic - Best Iced Wine Frozen After Harvest

Wagner Vineyards
2021 Ice, Riesling, Finger Lakes

Pair this wine with:
Dessert

Category: Ice Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.9% RS: 15.05%
Brilliant yellow straw color. Fruity aromas and flavors of spicy poached apples, golden raisin, and mossy earth with a velvety, vibrant, full body and a smooth, complex, long finish that presents overtones of honeyed dried apricot and orange marmalade with no oak flavor. A juicy and satisfying dessert wine with great flavor and balance.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World & Rich & Full
Aroma Aroma: spicy poached apples, golden raisin, and mossy earth
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with overtones of honeyed dried apricot and orange marmalade
Sweetness Sweetness: Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, Mixed Berries
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A juicy and satisfying dessert wine with great flavor and balance.

The Producer

Wagner Vineyards

The Producer
9322 State Rte 414
Lodi, NY 14860
USA
1 607-582-6450

Ice Wine

Wine Glass Dessert.jpg
Serve in a Copita
Ice Wine is a dessert wine that is made from frozen grapes that are harvested very late, anywhere from December to early March. At peak, these frozen grapes have at harvest, a water content in which 80% remains as frozen crystals. Fermentation takes months to complete.

Ice wine is made from white and red grapes, primarily Riesling as well as Vidal, while Cabernet Franc is the leading red variety. Most examples of ice wine are still, but there are also sparkling versions produced.

Canada is a major producer of Ice Wine, most notably in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Residual sugar is quite high (about 150 grams per liter, similar to Sauternes from France), but since the acidity is usually high, ice wines do not taste overly sweet.

Ideal consumption time is from eight to ten years; these are best enjoyed on their own or with blue cheeses.