PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
There is nothing else quite like this in the wine world. Icewine itself is already a genuine rarity — grapes left on the vine deep into the Canadian winter, frozen solid, hand-harvested in the dead of night at temperatures that would send most vineyard crews indoors, pressed while still frozen to extract only a few precious drops of concentrated juice from each cluster. Inniskillin, founded in 1975 by Austrian chemist Karl J. Kaiser and agricultural scholar Donald Ziraldo as the first estate winery in Canada since Prohibition, essentially built the modern reputation of Canadian icewine — and then, not content with having already perfected one of the most difficult styles of wine on earth, decided to make it sparkling too.
The 2022 harvest began in the third week of December, when temperatures dropped to an ideal -10°C, signaling the start of Inniskillin's world-renowned icewine picking season. The harvest wasn't completed until February 5th of the following year, spread across four separate, meticulously timed pickings. At pressing, only about 10% of a normal fall harvest's juice volume could be extracted from each bunch — a scarcity that is precisely what makes icewine so genuinely singular and so highly sought after. The resulting juice, at an ideal 37.7 brix, was inoculated with a specific proprietary yeast strain and allowed to ferment under pressure in a Charmat tank at an average temperature of 17°C, reaching a final alcohol level of 9.5% — the technique that gives this wine its genuinely rare identity: a fully sparkling, effervescent icewine, rather than the still expression most producers make.
Wine Enthusiast named it an Editors' Choice selection and awarded 95 Points: "these energetic bubbles deserve respect for fighting through the wine's viscosity to help deliver rich apricot jam and peach sorbet aromas that are to die for. Peaches and apricots return on the palate, spotlighted by a nice amount of acidity. Break out the foie gras — this sparkling ice wine is ready to party." Decanter awarded 93 Points at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards: "nectarine and white peach, pineapple syrup aromas. Ginger and tropicals on the palate, finishing with a lifted lemon freshness." John Gilman of View From the Cellar awarded 91 Points, finding "a vibrant constellation of peach, tangerine, mirabelle, honey, a nice dollop of soil and a floral topnote," the palate "fullish, zesty, complex and frothy, with excellent depth at the core, bright acids and a long, complex and sparkling finish." A wine that manages to be both a genuine technical marvel and, by every account, an absolute pleasure to drink.
Inniskillin was established in 1975 by Austrian-born chemist Karl J. Kaiser and agricultural scholar Donald Ziraldo — the first estate winery licensed in Canada since Prohibition, founded as a small vine-planting experiment that has since grown into a 35-acre Niagara Peninsula property recognized globally as the pioneering voice of Canadian icewine and table wine production. Inniskillin's Vidal icewine program is produced in two genuinely distinct styles: a traditional still expression, and this sparkling version, built entirely from 100% Vidal Blanc, a hardy hybrid grape variety specifically well-suited to the extreme cold required for true icewine production.
Grapes for the 2022 Sparkling Vidal Icewine were harvested at an average temperature of -10°C, with the harvest beginning in the third week of December 2022 and running through four separate pickings, concluding February 5, 2023. Immediately upon pressing, the frozen grapes yielded juice at an ideal 37.7 brix — a concentration reflecting the extreme water loss that naturally frozen fruit undergoes, with only about 10% of a standard fall harvest's juice volume recovered per bunch. The juice was inoculated with a specific proprietary yeast strain and fermented under pressure in a Charmat tank — the same closed-tank sparkling wine method used for Prosecco — at an average temperature of 17°C, reaching a final alcohol content of 9.5%. This production approach preserves the wine's natural effervescence while allowing the concentrated icewine juice's full aromatic and flavor intensity to shine through.
Wine Enthusiast — 95 Points, Editors' Choice (July 2024):
"These energetic bubbles deserve respect for fighting through the wine's viscosity to help deliver rich apricot jam and peach sorbet aromas that are to die for. Peaches and apricots return on the palate, spotlighted by a nice amount of acidity. Break out the foie gras — this sparkling ice wine is ready to party."
Decanter — 93 Points (Decanter World Wine Awards 2025):
"100% Vidal. Nectarine and white peach, pineapple syrup aromas. Ginger and tropicals on the palate, finishing with a lifted lemon freshness."
John Gilman, View From the Cellar — 91 Points:
"The 2022 Vidal Sparkling Icewine from Inniskillin is really very lovely this year. The wine delivers a vibrant constellation of peach, tangerine, mirabelle, honey, a nice dollop of soil and a floral topnote. On the palate the wine is fullish, zesty, complex and frothy, with excellent depth at the core, bright acids and a long, complex and sparkling finish."
Inniskillin official tasting notes:
"This unique icewine boasts aromatics of peach, orange and mango. Flavors of citrus, lychee and pineapple balanced by an energetic acidity and lively effervescence round out this Inniskillin classic."
Great Estates Niagara (extended tasting note):
"Bright aromas and flavours of fresh tropical fruits dominate the nose and palate. This unique styled Icewine is overflowing with notes of ripe peach, candied lemon, juicy pineapple and lychee, and is balanced by the dry sensation brought forth by the effervescence. The juicy and concentrated flavours dance on your palate, through to an extended, fruit filled finish."
International Wine & Spirit Competition — Gold Medal
Nose
Golden straw hue with lively, persistent effervescence. Rich apricot jam and peach sorbet lead, joined by orange and mango. Nectarine and white peach add further stone fruit depth, alongside pineapple syrup and a floral topnote. A hint of soil and ginger round out a genuinely complex and layered aromatic profile.
Palate
Fullish, zesty, and frothy, with excellent depth at the core. Peaches and apricots dominate, spotlighted by a nice amount of acidity that cuts cleanly through the wine's natural viscosity. Citrus, lychee, and pineapple build tropical richness, balanced by an energetic, lively effervescence that keeps the entire palate dancing rather than heavy.
Finish
Long, complex, and sparkling, closing with a lifted lemon freshness and ginger spice. Bright acids carry the tropical fruit character through an extended, fruit-filled close — genuinely built for celebration.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Niagara Peninsula VQA — Ontario, Canada |
| Style | Sparkling Icewine — Charmat Method |
| Variety | 100% Vidal Blanc |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Producer | Inniskillin — Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario |
| Founded | 1975 by Karl J. Kaiser and Donald Ziraldo — first estate winery in Canada since Prohibition |
| Harvest | Third week of December 2022 through February 5, 2023 — four pickings |
| Harvest Temperature | Average -10°C |
| Brix at Pressing | 37.7 |
| Fermentation | Charmat tank, under pressure, average 17°C |
| ABV | 9.5% |
| Yield | ~10% of a normal fall harvest juice volume |
| Critics | Wine Enthusiast 95, Editors' Choice · Decanter 93 (DWWA 2025) · John Gilman, View From the Cellar 91 |
| Awards | Gold Medal — International Wine & Spirit Competition |
| Style / Identity | The world's rare sparkling icewine — tropical, effervescent, concentrated |
| Aromas & Flavors | Peach, apricot, orange, mango, nectarine, pineapple, lychee, citrus, ginger, honey |
| Bottle Size | 375ml (Half Bottle) |
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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