In article >,
Ian Hoare > wrote:

> Salut/Hi El Capitan,
>
> le/on Sat, 18 Oct 2003 18:49:25 -0500, tu disais/you said:-
>
> >> Cidre de Glace. Made in Quebec, by a process analogous to Eiswein.
> >>
> >> Interesting, even intriguing, but does not come close to the
> >> complexity of an ice wine.
> >>
> >> Mike
> >
> >Oh, please. Like you can have any of your tastebuds functional after
> >the extreme sugar hit of an icewine.
>
> From what you say here, El, you've never had a top class Eiswein. At a
> recent exhibition of world class sweet wines (last summer - thanks Michael
> P) Iniskillin were showing their ice wines, next door to Ch Yquem btw. How
> to put this......? Let's say that the balance left something to be desired,
> when compared even to other eisweins tasted during the week. \

I had the pleasure of a wine tour of the Niagara region last year.
Visited Inniskillin, Marynissen Estates, and others. Sampled the ice
wines at several, and came to the inescapable conclusion that I truly
don't like the stuff. I've tried a couple of dessert wines from Randall
Graham's Bonny Doon stables, and a Tokaji here and there. Try as hard
as I might, I've got an upper limit on sweet liquids I can enjoy, and
ice wine, anything botrytized, and most dessert liqueurs are way above
the limit. I don't even care for champagne doux. The Brut-er the
Better.

I was being mostly tongue in cheek about all your tastebuds shutting
down, but you knew that already...


> > Those things run at a brix level of around 36-46.
>
> So what? If the fruit and acidity are in harmony with the sugar the wine
> never tastes cloying.

Ah, the ol' lemonade argument. You've got a point, but I would have to
make my lemonade with supersaturated sugar solution instead just tossing
in a half-cup to reach the same sweetness levels in dessert & ice wines.

>
> > Sugar cane juice averages less than 20 brix.
>
> Again, so what? Firstly sugar cane juice isn't particularly sweet, and it
> is totally (ahem) without any acidity. You might as well criticise beef
> because you don't like lentils. Both contain lots of protein!

Just like I can compare fruitcake and fudge as suitable holiday treats.
Doesn't change the fact that to my taste, fudge is great, the other
totally nasty. De gustibus non est disputandum and all that.


EC