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Wine and Spirits shop offers toast to Ice

It’s widely-acclaimed as the exquisite culmination of a fine meal but with its astonishing scope of flavors, Ice wine can enhance the dining experience in a great many ways, according to wine seller www.inniskillin.com.

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An Inniskillin Ice Wine.

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“Ice wine is a late harvest wine made from the last bunch of grapes they pick before the first frost,” said Chinchilla Wine and Spirits Superstore general manager Susan Ostopowicz.

Ostopowicz explained the grapes are picked while frozen on the vine, which is how the wine gets its name, but they have to be picked immediately, before the first frost.

“The grapes are more concentrated because the sugars in the grapes don’t freeze but the water does, resulting in a much sweeter tasting wine.”

According to wine seller www.inniskillin.com., it’s recommended to serve 1.5 to 2 ounces of Ice wine per glass, chilled to approximately 43�F or 6�C. A standard 375ml bottle will serve approximately 7 to 8 people. Once opened, you can store Ice wine for up to four weeks if properly sealed and refrigerated.

Unlike other wines, Ice wines are not meant to sit, but rather should be used as quickly as possible.

If you go

Don’t miss your chance at a local tasting during the Clarks Summit Festival of Ice.

Wine and Spirits Superstore in Chinchilla will feature tastings on Thursday, Feb. 12 and Friday, Feb. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 2 to 4 pm.