Limited quantity of Ontario icewine to likely make 2020 bottles in high demand

TORONTO

The smallest ever recorded amount of Ontario grapes designated for icewine is likely to create a high demand for 2020 bottles of the super sweet treat.

VQA Ontario, the province’s wine regulator, reported just more than 1,000 tonnes of grapes registered for icewines this year, down from almost 6,000 tonnes last year.

It’s a record low since the agency began regulating the icewine harvest 20 years ago, VQA Ontario said.

“A combination of high quality and limited quantity will likely make 2020 wines in high demand,” said the agency’s executive director Laurie Macdonald..

While a few 2020 table wines have already been released, the 2020 icewines should be available around mid-2021, Macdonald said.

The grapes for 2020 icewines have not been harvested yet, as wineries leave them on the vine to be harvested when the temperature drops below -8 C.

The regulator’s report said the year was “remarkable” for weather and wine in Ontario, with most wine-growing regions experienced excellent conditions.

Macdonald said the 2020 vintage is expected to produce high-quality wines.

Wineries are choosing to make table wine, instead of leaving grapes on the vine to make icewine, said Magdalena Kaiser, public relations director of the Winery Marketing Association of Ontario.

The pandemic has affected wine export in all international markets, said Kaiser.