Tuesday, September 10, 2024

What Millennials and Gen Zs drink. Is there any hope for Wine?

According to IWSR, wine sales are projected to decline by another 2% by 2027. The future appears particularly challenging for red wines, while growth is expected to continue, at least steadily in the bestselling categories of rosé and sparkling wines. 

Several factors contribute to this trend, including inflation and a shift in priorities away from wine towards other essentials. Additionally, there are substantial wine stocks still held in distributors' warehouses from the pandemic era that need to be moved. Another critical issue is the shrinking wine consumer base, as more Baby Boomers (aged 60+) retire to fixed incomes—this demographic currently represents 36% of total wine sales— are expected to spend less in the future. Meanwhile, Generation Z (ages 21-27) currently only accounts for 6% of total sales and has not yet shown a significant uptake in wine consumption. Observing their wine habits as well as Millennials’ (ages 28-43) will be crucial for the future of wine. Besides these, global trends towards low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products continue to grow, driven by health and dietary concerns. Ready-to-drink (RTD) products are also gaining popularity, taking for the first time, part of the wine market share. All of which are prompting wine producers to reassess their strategies, focusing particularly on appealing to younger generations. Understanding the consumption habits of Millennials and Gen Z is essential in this process. 

One significant hurdle is that these younger demographics are less alcohol-centric compared to Gen X and Boomers, with health concerns playing a major role in their choices. Alcohol's importance has diminished significantly for Millennials and Gen Z; in 2003, it ranked 12th in importance, dropping to 26th by 2023. Both groups drink less at their respective ages compared to previous generations, with a decline of at least 10% over the past two decades. Only 44% of Millennials and Gen Z drink wine twice a month. Complicating matters is the lack of wine education among Millennials and Gen Z, who show little interest in wine regions or countries and instead focus more on wine styles and in flavors that appeal to them. Wine is perceived as less flavorful compared to the diverse options offered by RTD (ready to drink) products for example or by soft drinks which are the beverage of choice for most Gen Z.  Let’s not forget that thanks to inflation, there is a shortage of affordable wine options, a critical factor for Gen Z as they enter the wine consumption market.

Availability, value for money, and versatility are crucial factors for these younger generations. Millennials still associate specific beverages with events, like wine with dinner or beer with sports, whereas Gen Z shows a preference for soft drinks over other beverages and don’t care much about occasions. They favor single-serving packaging and cans, enabling them to sample a variety of beverages without spending much and without committing to a full bottle of wine. They are receptive to RTDs, including wine-based ones, but are open to try other stuff such as THC and Adaptogen Drinks. Eco-friendly practices and sustainability are important considerations for both Millennials and Gen Z, who prioritize mental and physical wellness more than previous generations.

Now looking specifically at consumption, they prefer lighter and fresher wines such as rosé, white, sparkling, and light, juicy reds.  This is indeed true, as according to Nielsen, the top-selling new entry- level wine in 2023 was Stella Rosa Pineapple, a flavored, semi-sweet, low alcohol wine made from Moscato grapes.  A promise that may lead new wine consumers, eventually to more serious wines, as once upon a time White Zinfandel led me there too!

Both generations are price-conscious, preferring wines priced at $15 or less, with occasional purchases up to $30. Geographically, most Millennials prefer Italian and American brands, while Gen Z tends to favor French wines. Given their digital upbringing, Millennials and Gen Z are most likely to follow social media recommendations from influencers or bloggers rather than traditional wine experts or specialty wine magazines. Offline, they trust recommendations from family, friends, colleagues, or wines they've tried at restaurants or recommended by wine shops.

When marketing products to these generations, it's essential to reflect diversity and engage with them on platforms they normally use such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  They also appreciate ease of purchase and of payment, favoring the use of PayPal, Venmo, ShopPay, and GPay, and prefer a streamlined checkout process when making purchases online.

Tastings, festivals and events should be oriented to themes they care about. My guess, there’s plenty of work for all of us to do, in order to influence young generations into the fantastic world of wine, not only at the education level, but also by paying attention to what resonates mostly to them. Cheers! Silvina. 










This post is based on information shared and presented by Erica Duecy (Business of Drinks) during Vinexpo Americas 2024. As always my opinions are my own.

#thoughtsoflawina #WineWednesday #genz #millennials #winepredictions

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Prosecco Rosé recommendations for Labor Day!

Indeed the arrival of Labor Day marks for most of us the end of Summer. Hopefully you have spent yours, exploring wonderful new cities, enjoying the sunny outdoors, swimming at the beach, relaxing and reading and of course indulging in one of my favorites: Refreshing, sparkling Prosecco Rosé.

Officially approved as a category about four years ago, Prosecco Rosé is mostly made from native Italian Glera grapes blended with up to 15% Pinot Noir, which provides its beautiful pink hue. Stylistically, Prosecco Rosé can range from dry to off dry and compared to other sparkling wines, is fruitier than Cava, Crémant or Champagnefeaturing refreshing, crispy acidity, and delicious fruitful notes of strawberry, red cherry, golden apple and white peach. Like all sparkling wines, the secret resides in the technique/method used to create its beautiful effervescence, in this case, the Martinetti method, in which the second fermentation occurs inside a pressurized tank. 

According to Prosecco regulations, Prosecco Rosé is always a vintage wine, as 85% of the total grapes used in any blend should be sourced from the current vintage. The remaining 15% can be supplemented with wine from previous vintages, to create the perfect blend, similarly to what is done with non-vintage Champagne.

Here are my recommendations:


Valdo Marca Oro Prosecco Rosé, DOC 2022, $14.99
A blend of 90% Glera with 10% Pinot Noir is fermented separately and combined to create this low alcohol Prosecco. This medium-bodied, handcrafted sparkler boasts an exhilarating bouquet of white cherry, blood orange, and grated ginger. Mouth-watering acidity preserves the freshness and elegance of this savory bubbly. 

Fiol Prosecco Rosé, DOC 2021, $21.99
Recently launched for the US Market, this elegant Prosecco is also a blend of 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir. It offers a burst of red fruit flavors, featuring aromas of raspberry, wild strawberry, golden apple peels, and white peach notes. This truly seductive, medium-bodied sparkler delivers plenty of palate-cleansing pleasure and a long, lingering finish.


As always remember to enjoy your Prosecco Rosé, within a year from its vintage, while its fruitiness is at its peak. Happy Labor Day to everybody! Cheers, Silvina.

#Thoughtsoflawina #proseccorosé #WineWednesday #winesforlaborday #proseccoforlaborday





 

























Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Low and Non-alcoholic wines, can they replace the real thing?

According to the IWSR, non alcoholic and low alcoholic beverages will see a 7% growth in the next three years, a considerable increase in sales, especially when alcohol consumption and in particular wine consumption is expected to continue declining worldwide.

This trend raises two pivotal questions: What is the evolving consumer’s relationship with alcohol? and can non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages replace the real thing?


First, allow me to share my relationship with alcohol. I'm one of those that condemns a wine that has alcohol levels higher than 13%, mostly because when I was learning about wine, about 22 years ago, medium alcohol levels were much lower than what they are today. On those days, anything above 13% was labeled as having high alcohol. Of course, things are very different now and mostly due to global warming, wines that used to be 12,5 %, reach 14% or more every year without any difficulty.  This changed everything for me, as I prefer my wines to have lower alcohol levels. This is in part the reason why I love German and Austrian wines so much, because they are naturally low in alcohol, but still have all the flavor, the fruitiness and the acidity. 


Of course, some may say high alcohol is not so noticeable, if there’s a balance or integration with the rest of the elements in wine. I found such cases rare. My love for acidity is so big that it has led me away from wines produced in warm regions, and therefore away from their high alcohol levels. Complicating matters to the worse, I can’t trust labels either, as producers can, by law, misstate alcohol content by up to 1% of what is declared. This means that even though a label may say that a wine has 12% ABV, the wine may indeed have 13%. 


Consumers are also moving away from high-alcohol wines for various reasons, including health concerns, or a desire to reduce sugar intake and to consume fewer calories. 

According to the IWSR, Millennials (ages 28-43) and Gen Z (ages 21-27) are two important groups that favor this trend of zero and low-alcoholic beverages, favoring products such as hard seltzers and zero alcoholic beer and wine. 


To further grasp this, the IWSR categorizes and divides consumers in 4 groups, based on their consumption of low or zero alcoholic beverages:


1)Substituters:  are those that switch between non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, depending on the occasion.

2)Triallers: are those who regularly consume alcoholic beverages but occasionally try non-alcoholic beverages.

3)Blenders are those that consume both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the same occasion.

4)Abstainers: are those who completely avoid alcohol. 


To answer whether zero-alcohol wines can replace traditional wines, consider my recent experience with BevZero, a company that sells the technology and machinery to remove alcohol from beverages. They also offer consulting services to make all kinds of low and non-alcoholic wines and spirits. 


Without giving all the technical data involved in the different processes to remove alcohol, it looks there are two ways to create a non-alcoholic wine 1) By using grape must or fruit juice without any fermentation, the final product is therefore sweet, and lacks the aromas and complexity, that wine usually obtains only through the fermentation process and 2) the wine is produced through fermentation (like any regular wine), but then alcohol is removed by filtering, vacuum distillation or by using reverse osmosis or other similar process. Unfortunately this process can also remove many of the wine’s flavors and personality.  And there’s more, as sometimes, the process is completed by rebuilding the wine completely, by adding more flavorings and artificial additives to compensate for the alcohol loss, further compromising its integrity.


Always eager to taste something new, I decided to stop by the two Bev Zero booths at Vinexpo that had non-alcoholic wines and tasted some of the samples offered. I'm sorry to say, I was not impressed at all.  I found many of these non-alcoholic wines to be overly artificial and sweet. However, my sampling was limited and could hardly be representative of the entire category.  For the moment, non-alcoholic wine is not a category I will be actively seeking out, as for me they can’t replace the real thing. Now, low-alcohol wines are different, and this is in part why, I decided to include some recommendations at the end of this post.


To non-alcoholic wine producers, I encourage furthering your efforts to improve quality and authenticity. While I doubt non-alcoholic wines can replace traditional wine offerings currently, they could serve as a viable alternative for abstainers providing another option beyond soft drinks or lemonade.


Now, regarding non-alcoholic beers, my perspective differs, as I have to acknowledge the appeal of some of these, which also coincides with the growing popularity of them in countries like Spain and Germany. It seems non-alcoholic beers’ strong flavor and carbonation is more than enough to compensate for their loss of alcohol. I have the pleasure of tasting Coors Edge and Heineken 00 that are two of my favorites.

 

To wine producers in warm regions, keep monitoring sugar and acidity levels closely, as emphasizing elegance over power can enhance your wines’ appeal. Just my two cents on this and only my view! 


My recommendations: it's a fine selection of three low-alcohol wines (with less than 10%ABV) tasted lately. Good for those that want to drink less alcohol and less calories per serving, without compromising any flavor!


Cavit Cloud 90 Pinot Grigio 2022, 9% ABV $10.99

Indulge in a light and refreshing Pinot Grigio, with only 90 calories per serving. Showcasing vibrant flavors of white peach, pear, and delicate floral notes, complemented by hints of honeydew melon, and finishing with bright, juicy acidity.


Yealands Lighter Sauvignon Blanc 2022, 9%ABV $ 15.99

Enjoy this outstanding Sauvignon Blanc crafted from grapes grown in Yealands' Awatere and Wairau Valley vineyards. Following a gentle pressing, this wine undergoes full fermentation in stainless steel vats to preserve its fruity character and delightful acidity. Captivating flavors of passionfruit and grapefruit, are complemented by herbaceous green pepper (pyrazines) undertones.


Lo Ca Chardonnay 2023 9% ABV, $14

Domaine Bousquet, the well known organic producer based in Mendoza, Argentina is behind the launching of the LoCa (abbreviated from Low Calories) line up made from organically certified grapes.

Savor this light-bodied white that showcases vibrant notes of golden pear, red apple, and meyer lemon, complemented by refreshing zesty acidity and soft mineral notes.

There's a red version of this wine made from Malbec grapes, which was not reviewed for this post.

































Until the next one, Cheers! Silvina.
Please remember to subscribe, to follow me on Instagram and to like my pictures as this helps the algorithm to get more views.

#Thoughtsoflawina #WineWednesday #lowalcoholwines

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Decoding Food and Wine Interactions

We are all familiar with the old rule of pairing reds with meat and big dishes and whites with fish and light fare. However, the success of these pairings often hinges on other factors such as how the protein is cooked, which may alter textures and weights on your palate. For instance, a steamed fish differs greatly from a fried one.  Sauces and seasoning play a crucial role and can also affect how the weight and texture are perceived on one’s palate. A filet of sole with a simple lemon and wine sauce tastes quite different from one with garlic and heavy cream. Therefore, when matching food and wine, it’s essential to consider not only the intensity and weight of the dish and wine, but all the ingredients and cooking methods to fully grasp their interaction.

If you started reading this post and expected me to give you a full list of food and wine pairings,  I suggest reading my earlier post on this topic, where I detail which wines, appellations and grapes pair best with various, common proteins and veggies.

Today, however, let’s delve into how different foods can influence your wine tasting experience. To help you with this process, I will share a few tips, used by sommeliers all over the world to successfully pair dishes and wines. So, let’s dive in and explore what happens to your wine when a dish is either acidic, oily, hot, salty, savory or sweet. In each instance your perception of the wine will change. Though, first it is important to clearly identify and familiarize yourself with the different elements in wine. Which are: its body, its acidity, its tannins or lack of, its alcohol, its fruitiness, and of course its sweetness.

Be mindful not to confuse fruitiness with sweetness; as some wines may smell very fruity and sweet but taste bone dry. My best advice always, is to taste, taste, taste. Tasting extensively will sharpen your nose and palate, helping you discern nuances and preferences, as well as to identify the different elements in wine, a key to understanding its many interactions with food.

Fried or Oily Foods: Oily foods diminish the perception of acidity in wines. Therefore, pair  high-acid wines like Champagne, Cava, Prosecco or Sauvignon Blanc with dishes such as fries, fried chicken, or fried oysters. Oils and fats also soften tannins, making them suitable partners for rich, high tannic reds like Barolo, Rne Valley Syrah or robust Cabernet Sauvignon, with dishes like roasted leg of lamb or BBQ ribs. 

Hot and Spicy Foods: Spices accentuate alcohol, making it more noticeable, they also reduce  a wine’s perceived sweetness and fruitiness. Pair your spicy dishes with wines that have low or moderate alcohol, and some sweetness or ripe fruitiness to offset the heat. Avoid tannic wines, opting instead for unoaked and fruit-forward whites and Rosés. For example, pair spicy curries or Thai dishes with an off-dry Riesling, Muscat or Gewürztraminer.

Salty Foods:  Saltiness diminishes a wine’s dryness and acidity, making it appear fruitier and richer. Pair salty dishes such as Pizza with high-acid wines like Barbera or Chianti (light juicy reds).  Salt also softens tannins, so match salty foods with tannic wines and pair Rioja Gran Reserva or Uruguayan Tannat with Serrano Ham or Prosciutto.

Savory or Umami Foods: Umami makes wines drier, more bitter, acidic and less fruity. Choose non-tannic reds such as Beaujolais or soft Malbec to complement savory foods like ramen.

Acidic Foods: High acid foods pair well with high acid wines, but always ensure the wine has more acidity than the food to prevent it from tasting diluted and flat. Acidic foods soften the acidity in wines, making them sweeter and fruitier. For example, pair sole in lime sauce with Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner and avoid low acid wines with high acid foods. 

Sweet Foods: Sweet dishes make wines seem drier, bitter and more acidic. Avoid pairing super tannic, dry wines like Cabernet Sauvignon with sweet desserts, instead opt for wines with a similar or higher sweetness levels.  Match wedding cake with Moscato d’ Asti instead of Brut Champagne, match Sauternes with Tarte Tatin or Crème Brûlée. Pair Tawny Port with chocolate.

Today’s recommendations are two Summer wines: Many thanks to Palm Bay for sending these to me!

Trimbach Riesling 2021, $31.99
This Classic from Alsace offers good flavor and definition, featuring 100% Riesling grapes and beautiful notes of lemon candied peel and pineapple, complemented by stone mineral undertones. It boasts refreshing acidity and a long, focused finish.

Saracina Rosé 2022, $19.99
This superb Rosé, made from 100% Grenache, showcases wild strawberries, juicy watermelon, and fresh raspberry notes. It offers depth with hints of orange blossom and red currant coulis. Balanced acidity cuts through the palate, leading to a dry, mouth-filling finish.





















I hope you give them a try soon, and if so please take pictures and tag me on Instagram @ Silvinalawina. Cheers! Silvina.


#wineandfood #winepairings #thoughtsoflawina #wineelements #drinkupamerica #winewednesday


Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Fun Whites from Chenin Blanc!

Chenin Blanc is very often overlooked as a grape, mostly because wine producers prefer to plant and make wines from other white varieties that are more appealing to consumers such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Muscat.

Originally from the Loire Valley, where it thrives in appellations such as: Anjou-Saumur, Vouvray, Savennières Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux. it is also the most planted white grape in South Africa, covering more than 18,000 hectares, where it is known as Steen. Chenin Blanc is also favored in California, Chile, Argentina, Australia and Israel.

Despite its underdog status, producers value Chenin Blanc for its versatility in producing all styles of wines, from dry to sweet, from mineral to fruit forward, from still to fine sparkling. It looks like for Chenin Blanc the sky is truly the limit.

From a viticultural perspective, Chenin Blanc is early budding but late ripening and naturally very vigorous, so plenty of cropping/ green harvest is necessary to keep it tamed. It thrives at lower yields, with 50 hl/hr considered ideal. Similarly to Riesling, it reflects the terroir in which it grows; sandy soils produce lighter and more delicate styles of wine, while clay yields richer full-bodied versions. Limestone soils result in elegant wines with crisp acidity, while schist, quartz and tufa soils impart plenty of minerality. Its ability to retain its natural high acidity makes it well-suited for warm climates, explaining its success in South Africa's Stellenbosch, Paarl and Swartland appellations.

Yet as imagined, geography will significantly influence the style of Chenin Blanc in your glass. Cool climate Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley is made in an old world style, showcasing delicate aromas of green and yellow apple, citrus, honeysuckle, with medium alcohol content, and prominent mineral and chalky notes. In contrast, New World Chenin Blanc from California or South Africa, tends to be riper, due to warmer weather conditions, and the winemaker’s intent to emphasize fruit-forward, tropical flavors, such as guava, pineapple, apricot and mango. Warm climates also soften Chenin’s piercing acidity, making these wines approachable earlier than some of their Loire Valley’s counterparts.

From a winemaking perspective, South Africa Chenin Blanc is typically vinified in inert containers such as concrete vats, old oak casks that don’t impart any flavors or stainless steel vats, to preserve fruit purity, without excessive winemaking intervention. Some producers may choose lees aging or battonage to add body and creaminess. Malolactic fermentation is usually avoided in warm areas, but probably widely used in the Loire Valley, that per se could be considered a marginal climate for growing this grape.

Chenin Blanc's superb sweet styles are crafted from noble rot affected grapes, exhibiting completely different aromas of quince, apricot, peach, honey, marzipan and brioche. They usually have higher acidity than Sauternes, and higher alcohol content than German dessert wines. Chenin Blanc is also a key component of Crémant de Limoux, a sparkling wine from the Languedoc Roussillon region in the South of France and also plays an important role in South African Cap Classique, the term used to label sparkling wines made using the Traditional method.  

My recommendations: recently I had the pleasure of attending a mini wine tasting organized by Wines from South Africa that featured a selection of Chenin Blancs.
Their delicious fruit, refreshing acidity and in some cases very affordable prices, make these wines an enticing alternative for Summer enjoyment. If you appreciate lively and vibrant dry whites as much as I do, consider giving your Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs a break and trying one of these fantastic Chenin Blancs listed below, you will be pleasantly surprised.  Until the next one, Cheers! Silvina. 

Sparklehorse MCC 100% Chenin NV, $26.99
Lievland Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2022 $18.99
Beaumont Chenin Blanc 2023 $20.99
Reyneke Vinehugger Organic Chenin Blanc 2023 $17.99
Testalonga Cortez 2021, $49.99
Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021 $29.99
Raats Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022 $31.99
illimis Chenin Blanc $49.99
















Remember to subscribe to keep receiving Thoughts of La Wina in your inbox and to follow me on Instagram @Silvinalawina.


#Thoughtsoflawina #WineWednesday #Cheninblanc #Cheninblancwines #SouthAfrica #Southafricanwines 

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

A Sweet Treat for Summer: Canadian Icewine!

Canadian Icewines, often described as “liquid gold” are a treat that all of us should experience at least once in our lifetimes. 
The first question that comes to mind when talking about Canadian wine is: How? How is viticulture even viable here, so north in latitude to ripen grapes?
Indeed, all four wine appellations that make wines in Canada: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, enjoy very cool climates, described as continental-maritime. This entails a short growing season with less than the minimum 1500 sun hours required to achieve ripeness and a spring frost proneness enough to discourage anyone.  This was why historically, vine growers planted and experimented only with hybrid crosses, such as Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Marechal Foch, deemed better suited to withstand these harsh conditions than traditional vitis vinifera varieties. It was not until the 1980s that growers began uprooting some of these hybrids and began replacing them with vinifera plantings of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc. 
But to answer the question I posted at the beginning, viticulture is only possible here, mostly due to the proximity to large bodies of water, the Ontario and Erie lakes, that naturally moderate temperature in the vineyards and reflect their much needed sunlight. Besides we are talking about icewine production here, a style of wine made from frozen grapes. But, how does this magic happen? 
Icewine is a luscious, dessert wine crafted from naturally frozen grapes, purposely left to mature on the vines, until temperatures drop sufficiently to at least 17.6º F or -8º C. This usually occurs between the months of December and late February. Once frozen, these super sweet grapes are harvested by hand and pressed immediately, usually on crushers located outside the wineries. Here the juice is separated from the ice, yielding a concentrated nectar. Fermentation can take up to 6 months, due to the high sugar content in the must, which is measured in brix. All Canadian icewines must contain a minimum of 38 brix + of sugar by law. Such amounts will, for sure, slow down the fermentation process, with yeasts dying before consuming all of it, leaving plenty of residual sugar behind. The resulting wine is sweet, light, low in alcohol, with high acidity, featuring delightful aromas, reminiscent of Sauternes or German TBAs, with notes of peach, apricot, pineapple, lychee and quince. Some grapes may or may not be affected by Botrytis Cinerea or noble rot, adding complex notes of lanolin and honey to the wine's profile.  
Similar to what happens in Europe, Canada’s VQA system regulates all aspects of viticulture and winemaking, including the grapes allowed in each appellation, the minimum weight limits and the minimum brix on the grapes. No sweet reserve is allowed in icewine production and wines must have a minimum of 125 gr/lit of residual sugar in them, though 138 gr is typical.
The favorite grape used to make icewine is Vidal Blanc, but wonderful samples also come from Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer and Cabernet Sauvignon. 
Wondering about what to pair with these seductive wines? Foie gras and blue cheeses offer a delightful savory-sweet contrast, but also spicy cuisines like Thai or Indian can complement icewines beautifully. Additionally, they pair exquisitely with sweet desserts such as fruit tarts, crème brûlée, panna cotta, cheesecake or simply they could be served on their own as a luxurious finale to any meal.
Beyond icewines, Canada produces many other delicious wines including late harvest, sparkling, and dry wines from both vinifera and hybrid varieties. Ontario stands as the most significant of the four Canadian appellations, producing 75% of all wines. It boasts a rich winemaking history, with vineyards established as early as the 1860s on Pelee Island in Lake Erie.
My recommendations: I had the pleasure of attending my first Canadian wine tasting in late March, these are just some of my favorite wines tasted while there:
 
Inniskillin Gold Vidal Icewine 2021 $70
Enticing, with plenty of layers of dried apricot, orange marmalade and ripe mango. Lip smacking acidity balances its delicious sweetness. 

Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine 2022 $93
Truly fabulous, showing elegant notes of red fresh fruit that includes raspberry, red cherries and strawberries.  Very expressive with lively acidity and a long spicy finish.

Reif Estate Grand Reserve Vidal 2019 $90
Decadent, displays succulent apricot marmalade, white peach and honey notes. Unctuous, yet vibrant with acidity.
Stratus Riesling Icewine 2022 $77
Packed with delicious minerality, offering caramelized pineapple, citrus and quince preserve notes. Its cleansing acidity balances the generous finish.

Malivoire Icewine Gewurztraminer 2019 $65
Creamy and rich, it offers rose, lychee and spicy ginger notes. Intensely long and mouth filling, this was my favorite of the whole tasting! What can I say, I’m a Gewurz fan in any shape or form!

Pillitteri Family Reserve Riesling Icewine 2019 $45
Rich and lavish displaying candied lemon peel, ripe pineapple and apricot preserves notes. Seamlessly balanced with piercing minerality and a viscous, multilayered texture.
Pillitteri Market Collection Vidal Icewine 2021 $45
Palate teasing, this beautiful icewine features crème brûlée, orange rind preserves and honey blossom notes. Refreshing acidity complements its creamy richness.
 
So what do you say? Isn't it time to drink some sweet Canadian Icewine? Give them a try and let me know what you think. Cheers! Silvina.
#thoughtsoflawina #Canadianwines #Canadianicewines #Canada #Drinkupamerica #WineWednesday.