Ice, ice baby

Embrace the cold with ice wine, this season's sweet indulgence.

By Ellen Fox

12/22/02

The colder the fruit, the sweeter the juice. That's the logic behind ice wine, a light, nectar-like alternative to the strong or syrupy dessert wines.
Originally from Germany, where it is known as eiswein, and now a signature export from Canada's Niagara peninsula, true ice wine is made from grapes (usually riesling or vidal) intentionally left on the vine to freeze. The grapes are picked and pressed in the cold; and because the water inside them is frozen, the small amount of juice that gets extracted is sweeter and more concentrated.

The process is painstaking, so, the price is high. But if you'd like to sip a little something that's full of melon, pear, peach and lychee notes, here's where to go.

Cru Cafe and Wine Bar. For comparison's sake, this bustling corner lounge in the Gold Coast pours a flight ($36) of three varieties of ice wine from Canada's popular Inniskillin winery: riesling, pearl vidal and cabernet franc. Those who want to try ice wine in a cocktail can order the Inniskillin ($9), a blend of Ketel One vodka and ice wine, served straight up in a martini glass, and garnished with three frozen grapes.

Sidetrack. The rollicking Boystown video lounge serves a similar ice wine martini ($12), which mixes Ketel One and its 1999 Inniskillin riesling ice wine, also available solo by the glass ($20).

Aubriot. Ice wine is the perfect accompaniment to a succulent, fruity dessert. At this North Side French restaurant, the raisin and pear notes in a golden glass of 2000 Ernst Bretz Bechtolsheimer Homberg riesling eiswein ($14) are the perfect match for the dessert of glazed pear with champagne and orange marmalade, and raisin calvados ice cream.

The Tasting Room. Pit German eiswein against dessert wines from other lands with one of two flights featured at this Randolph Street spot. The Chocolate Fantasy ($19.50) comes with three sweets and teams a pinot noir-based 1999 Rheinhessen Spatburgunder rose eiswein with a Sepperlt Australian tawny port and a 1996 Chapoutier banyuls (a French, port-like drink). The Sweet Little Trip ($14.50) is similar to the above trio, except it features a sparkly, moscato d'asti instead of tawny port.

Blackbird. "We try and root for the underdogs and go with the smaller, more boutique-y wineries," says owner Eduard Seitan. To that end, this restaurant offers a 2000 Renwood Amador Ice Zinfandel, from California's Shenandoah Valley, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. By the bottle ($54), or by the glass ($7), the light ruby-colored wine - made from grapes that are frozen after picking - "tastes just like a lighter, fruitier Inniskillin," he says, "but isn't as sweet."

Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar. This Bucktown restaurant includes a similar ice wine-like beverage on its by-the-glass list. The 2000 Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glaciere ("wine of the icebox") is so called because its Californian grapes are frozen post-picking and therefore don't technically qualify as "ice wine". Still, an $8 glass of the drink is sweeter than Inniskillin, with fuzzy-fruit notes, like apricot, among the flavors.

Zealous. For those with holiday bonuses to blow, one of Chicago's priciest ice wines can be found at this River North restaurant. A half-bottle of 1999 Robert Weil riesling eiswein, which tastes like honey, will set you back $580. But chef-owner Michael Taus, who reports that one customer recently drank a bottle with his salmon, says the quality demands such a ransom. "It's just perfect," Taus says, "And not many things are perfect."

Ellen Fox is a Chicago freelnace writer.

Originally published Dec. 25, 2002.