As you may know if you read this site often, I am a sucker for a good dessert wine. A few nights ago I sampled an apple ice wine.
Neige,an apple ice wine from Quebec, might best be described as the soul of an apple reduced into a perfectly golden and sweet elixir. I ordered a glass and grudgingly let others have a sip and everyone sighed deeply with pleasure. The initial scent and taste is that it is like a concentrated cider, which makes sense since it takes around 15 pounds of apples to create one small bottle, but it reveals more nuances as it opens on the tongue. It has notes of vanilla and and a dose of gentle woodsy spice. I paired it with a pear and almond tart which was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I have seen others recommend a creamy cheese like Brie. It actually might also be brilliant with a sharp Vermont cheddar. This ice wine
sells for around $25.
