Winemaker's Notes
Vidal is the most popular grape variety used to make Icewine. It has been used to make several different styles of Icewine but we like it best straight forward and intense. When you first put your nose into the glass your head is filled with thoughts of honey, apricot and flower gardens in full bloom. It coats your mouth and you feel it well after you swallow. It’s definitely sweet but the balancing acidity is telling of the care that went into its making. Aged Vidal Icewine is an acquired taste so we like to recommend that you enjoy it while it still has the fresh floral notes – up to about five years old.
Vineyard Manager's Notes
VQA regulations specify we can’t pick Icewine grapes until it is at least -8°C. At Château des Charmes we prefer to wait until at least -10°C or -12°C to be sure every drop of water in the grapes is completely frozen. This is one of the things we do in the vineyard to make sure we are providing the production team with the best possible raw material. Our Vidal rows are treated with the same care and detail as our rows of grapes destined for table wine. We carefully limit the yield on these vines to help concentrate the vine’s work on fewer bunches. We also select the best bunches on each vine and remove the rest then we expose the bunches on the East side of the rows in late August then the West side in September and we will remove individual berries from the hanging bunches if they are not up to par. Making high quality Icewine is not just about waiting for the grapes to freeze, we also have to make sure the grapes are fully ripened before the vine goes dormant for the winter.
Bosc Family Food Pairings
Pairing Icewine with food can be a bit tricky but our failsafe approach is to make sure the food is as sweet as the wine. With Vidal Icewine our favourite pairing is crème brûlée. The caramelized sugar on the top adds a decadent smoky butterscotch flavour that is magical with this wine.
