2014 Ziraldo Riesling Icewine – Vintages 149609 – $88.80 – ****1/2 – This small winery specializes in Icewine. If you’re a fan of Niagara wine this name should be familiar to you because this bottle bears the name of the founder of Inniskillin. When I spoke with Donald Ziraldo in 2016 he talked about the importance of Icewine to the industry, so it’s not surprise that he has returned to his roots. The price on this bottle will likely raise an eyebrow, it does push to the top of what it costs to get a bottle of Icewine in the province. That being said this is very tasty wine. The nose is honey with peach and apricot. The flavours match the nose but if you let this sit on the palate the texture of this wine opens up to bring a slight creaminess to the palate. The short story is that Riesling makes fantastic Icewine, this wine has held onto it’s acidity beautifully. This will make a perfect match to cheddar, blue cheese, foie gras or any other rich, salty food you want to pair with it.
