ICE-COLD APPEAL

It burst upon the Asian scene in the late '90s after making its world debut in the mid-'80s, and its luscious flavors became an instant hit halfway around the world from home. The Canadians were justly proud, for they were solely responsible for making icewine the luxury product it is now, elevated from its more plebeian origins as a common, sweet German dessert wine.

The Inniskillin estate, especially, was credited with making icewine a uniquely Canadian product, and an entire wine-tourism industry has sprung up around the Niagara Peninsula just off the great falls, where it produces the delicious brews.

Icewine has also become the souvenir of choice at the airport duty free, and leading producers have taken advantage of this to package some attractive bundles that are worth every cent the cost.

What makes icewine such a delicious experience? Simple. This wine distills the essence of grapes, extracting the best of the fruit into luscious sips that perfume the mouth and overwhelm the nose with a dreamy sweetness full of lychee, mango, osmanthus, honey and every sweet smell nature can conjure.

Like all the best things, icewine is purely a product of nature discovered by man through serendipitous opportunity. This time, the process was triggered by an unexpectedly hard and cold frost that froze the grapes on the vine before they could be harvested.

Perhaps it is best explained by looking at the entire production flow. Icewine grapes are not sweetened by the botrytis fungus or "noble rot" like other dessert wines.

Grapes are purposely left on the vine until winter and harvested before daybreak on days when the temperature falls below -8 C. At that point, the water in the fruit would be frozen, and the harvested bunches are pressed so ice crystals are extracted and the condensed juices or essence of the fruit are siphoned off to start the wine.

The yield is extremely low compared to traditional wine-making and producers can only get about 10 to 15 percent compared to traditional wines - which is why you pay so much more for a bottle of icewine.

You can buy three main varietals of icewine.

The most common is Vidal, an aromatic French grape that is intensely cultivated in the Niagara Peninsula and from which the most common variety of icewine is produced. Inniskillin produces a Vidal, an oak-aged Vidal and a sparkling Vidal.

Riesling is also widely cultivated due to its high acidity and natural affinity. When it is made into icewine, it produces an intense citrusy nose that is full of ripe fruit with just a tinge of metal. Riesling icewine come in non-oaked and oak-aged bottles.

A relatively rare varietal is the Cabernet Franc icewine, which appeals with both its red-berry flavors and a celebratory red hue.

Icewine is precious and should be savored all on its own. It is often used as a toast, in lieu of champagne, and sparkling icewine served with a perfectly sun-ripened strawberry is decadence in a glass.

If you prefer to ration your sips, you may want to pair it with foie gras, another luxury, or rich meats or liver terrines. It also goes with delicate, if spicy, Asian dishes. Just don't kill it with tongue-numbing flavors on a plate.

One thing to note: Pay homage to its origins and serve icewine well chilled. Warm it up in your hands and take in all the delicious aromas as the wine comes alive.