Hunt Country Ice Wine 1/2 Bottle 2-Pack
$59.99 (Normally $94.11) 36% off List Price
2007 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine 375ml

Bottle on Ice 3-Pack
$8.99 (Normally $35.97) 75% off List Price

Jana Angel Eis Riesling Ice Style Wine 1/2 Bottle 2-Pack
$59.99 (Normally $94.12) 36% off List Price
2010 Angel Eis, Riesling Ice Style Wine 375ml

Maestral Ice Wine by Dan Tudor 1/2 Bottle 2-Pack
$54.99 (Normally $86.85) 37% off List Price
2011 Maestral Wein der Eisbox Tondré Vineyard SLH 375ml

Nice theme, though I wish here was something new to try here.

As always, the Scott Harvey Angel Eis is a fantastic wine, one of the best dessert wines I have had. I would recommend this to anyone.

I haven't gotten around to trying the Tudor Maestral Wein der Eisbox, though I am looking forward to it as the method and stats are very similar to the the Jana Angel Eis (which is actually the reason I purchased it). Maybe this offering will be a good excuse to open it...

I do find it ironic that the Ice Wine Plus deal has one true Ice Wine, an Ice Bag that contains no ice and can't be frozen, and two "eis wines" done by cryoextraction rather than natural freezing (though Scott will tell you this may be a superior method!). That's the glory of woot.

WootBot wrote:Take heed: it's a flavorful poet.

wine.woot is on the scene just in case you didn't know it

North316 wrote:As always, the Scott Harvey Angel Eis is a fantastic wine, one of the best dessert wines I have had. I would recommend this to anyone.

Couldn't agree more and speaking of Scott Harvey, he and his lovely wife Jana will be back in Wooster, OH on Friday April 19th, hosting a winemaker's dinner. I've posted an information thread HERE.

It has been 5 hours and no one has made a Vanilla Ice comment yet?

bkarlan wrote:It has been 5 hours and no one has made a Vanilla Ice comment yet?

You obviously didn't get this reference posted by Dave...

"wine.woot is on the scene just in case you didn't know it"

North316 wrote:
I haven't gotten around to trying the Tudor Maestral Wein der Eisbox, though I am looking forward to it as the method and stats are very similar to the the Jana Angel Eis (which is actually the reason I purchased it). Maybe this offering will be a good excuse to open it...

If you need some peer pressure, I'm here to provide it. Would love to read your notes on the Tudor.

bkarlan wrote:It has been 5 hours and no one has made a Vanilla Ice comment yet?

Now that the party is jumping
With the bass kicked in, the Vegas are pumpin'
Quick to the point, to the point no faking
I'm cooking MC's like a pound of bacon

redwinefan wrote:If you need some peer pressure, I'm here to provide it. Would love to read your notes on the Tudor.

The wife is sick and would not enjoy me enjoying this without her enjoying it as well. If she is feeling better later in the week I will pop it open and provide some notes. Could be a very nice Valentines day treat!

I've had the Hunt Country before, would like to try one of the others but the other two are buzz kills.

I liked it, kind of a cotton candy in a glass. I didn't find it too sweet or syrupy.

xdavex wrote:I've had the Hunt Country before, would like to try one of the others but the other two are buzz kills.

I liked it, kind of a cotton candy in a glass. I didn't find it too sweet or syrupy.

I just had one too, nearly two years after buying it here. Went really well with an after-dinner cheese course. At the time I wrote:

"Far better than I expected. All about apricots. Not the liveliest acidity - more of a warm French horn tone than biting trumpet - but enough, it wasn't cloying. Four of us enjoyed this quite a lot."

If I drank more stickies (than a couple or three bottles a year), or if this deal were closer to the value of the 2011 offering, I'd be more tempted this time.

I agree that the Hunt Country Ice Wine is very tasty and not at all cloying. Keep in mind that the 2011 offer was paired with their Late Harvest Vignoles (also delicious) which retails for half the price of the Ice Wine so that may have made it seem like an even better deal.

Both the Hunt Country and Jana wines retail for $40/bottle.

chipgreen wrote:Couldn't agree more and speaking of Scott Harvey, he and his lovely wife Jana will be back in Wooster, OH on Friday April 19th, hosting a winemaker's dinner. I've posted an information thread HERE.

I hope they make it to NYC one of these days. I'd really love to meet them.

Thumbs up to the hunt, still have an 07 Vignoles ready for V day

Question: late harvest vs true Ice wine/eis wine
I have had amazing $20-$30 late harvest from California to eis wines from Germany, and even spent the bucks on the Iniskillin ice wines

Are these all true Ice Wines on the vine vs late harvest/frozen for the similar results?

My buddy made a bunch of killer late harvest that involved freezing Chardonnay grapes, so good a popular label purchased.
Don't these tent to be thicker and more syrupy than one from the vine and can not be called ice wine?

idealreptiles wrote:Thumbs up to the hunt, still have an 07 Vignoles ready for V day

Question: late harvest vs true Ice wine/eis wine
I have had amazing $20-$30 late harvest from California to eis wines from Germany, and even spent the bucks on the Iniskillin ice wines

Are these all true Ice Wines on the vine vs late harvest/frozen for the similar results?

My buddy made a bunch of killer late harvest that involved freezing Chardonnay grapes, so good a popular label purchased.
Don't these tent to be thicker and more syrupy than one from the vine and can not be called ice wine?

I'll address this, though I mentioned it above, and you basically answered your own question.

The Hunt Country is a true ice wine. The Tudor Maestral and the Jana Angel Eis Wine were both made through Cryoextraction (which is done by freezing the grapes in a controlled environment. Wines made with this process cannot be labeled Ice Wine as they were not created by natural freezing, hence their names; Angel Eis Wine (Scott was actually surprised that his labeling go through the licensing process simply by using the German translation of ice wine) and the Tudor "Wein der Eisbox", translating to Ice Box wine.

As for being thicker and syrupier (not sure that is a word?), I can't comment on the Tudor wine, but the Angel Eis is not thick and syrupy. It definitely has some nice sweetness to it, but plenty of acidity to give a good balance. Scott trained in Germany and does some wonderful things with Reisling.

chuck718 wrote:I just had one too, nearly two years after buying it here. Went really well with an after-dinner cheese course. At the time I wrote:

"Far better than I expected. All about apricots. Not the liveliest acidity - more of a warm French horn tone than biting trumpet - but enough, it wasn't cloying. Four of us enjoyed this quite a lot."

If I drank more stickies (than a couple or three bottles a year), or if this deal were closer to the value of the 2011 offering, I'd be more tempted this time.

So glad you enjoyed our Vidal Blanc Ice Wine! This 2007 vintage was so ripe that we had 43 degrees Brix at harvest, our highest ever. (It's generally about 38-41.) Even with the special yeast we use for ice wine, the concentration of nutrients (sugars, etc.) was so high we had to ferment twice. Great description ... this particular vintage is a French Horn: acidity is at the lower end of our usual range; residual sugar is at the high end. So it's very smooth and complex, great with cheeses (try blue or gorgonzola), or anything custard-y or maple-y (are these words?)!! ...Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

North316 wrote:I'll address this, though I mentioned it above, and you basically answered your own question.

The Hunt Country is a true ice wine. The Tudor Maestral and the Jana Angel Eis Wine were both made through Cryoextraction (which is done by freezing the grapes in a controlled environment. Wines made with this process cannot be labeled Ice Wine as they were not created by natural freezing, hence their names; Angel Eis Wine (Scott was actually surprised that his labeling go through the licensing process simply by using the German translation of ice wine) and the Tudor "Wein der Eisbox", translating to Ice Box wine.

As for being thicker and syrupier (not sure that is a word?), I can't comment on the Tudor wine, but the Angel Eis is not thick and syrupy. It definitely has some nice sweetness to it, but plenty of acidity to give a good balance. Scott trained in Germany and does some wonderful things with Reisling.

Hi North316,
Yes, we harvest our Vidal Blanc ice wine grapes by hand, while they are frozen on the vine at about 10-17 degrees F, and press them frozen. Actually we were the first producer of genuine ice wine in the United States (back in 1988, with our 1987 vintage)! --Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

North316 wrote:I'll address this, though I mentioned it above, and you basically answered your own question.

The Hunt Country is a true ice wine. The Tudor Maestral and the Jana Angel Eis Wine were both made through Cryoextraction (which is done by freezing the grapes in a controlled environment. Wines made with this process cannot be labeled Ice Wine as they were not created by natural freezing, hence their names; Angel Eis Wine (Scott was actually surprised that his labeling go through the licensing process simply by using the German translation of ice wine) and the Tudor "Wein der Eisbox", translating to Ice Box wine.

As for being thicker and syrupier (not sure that is a word?), I can't comment on the Tudor wine, but the Angel Eis is not thick and syrupy. It definitely has some nice sweetness to it, but plenty of acidity to give a good balance. Scott trained in Germany and does some wonderful things with Reisling.

You beat me to it ... good explanation. Thanks!

chipgreen wrote:I agree that the Hunt Country Ice Wine is very tasty and not at all cloying. Keep in mind that the 2011 offer was paired with their Late Harvest Vignoles (also delicious) which retails for half the price of the Ice Wine so that may have made it seem like an even better deal.

Both the Hunt Country and Jana wines retail for $40/bottle.

Hi again ChipGreen,
Yes, Wooters did enjoy the 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles. The secret of the wine is the growth of botrytis at the right time. When it works, you get a beautiful, sweet but crisp wine in the Sauternes and Beerenauslese tradition. After many years without success, we did get a great new 2012 vintage of Late Harvest Vignoles last year, but it's tiny, barely enough to make 100 cases. Them's the breaks ... we can't always have quality AND quantity! --Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

jimhcv wrote:So glad you enjoyed our Vidal Blanc Ice Wine! This 2007 vintage was so ripe that we had 43 degrees Brix at harvest, our highest ever. (It's generally about 38-41.) Even with the special yeast we use for ice wine, the concentration of nutrients (sugars, etc.) was so high we had to ferment twice. Great description ... this particular vintage is a French Horn: acidity is at the lower end of our usual range; residual sugar is at the high end. So it's very smooth and complex, great with cheeses (try blue or gorgonzola), or anything custard-y or maple-y (are these words?)!! ...Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

You had me at "maple-y"... I grew up in Vermont, and am a firm believer that maple pretty much makes everything better.

While I'm not a connoisseur by any means, I adore ice wines. There's a burgeoning (struggling?) wine industry in Northern VT, which seems to be perfect for making these the old fashioned way. (I've seen snow in June, not that I recommend it.) One of my favorites is a wine made just after apple season, which is a very enjoyable manner to utilize the ones that didn't get picked for eating.

Pardon if this is an ignorant question. If it a fruit is able to freeze and thaw similar to the grapes in this manner, and you are able to ferment the resulting juice, is it possible to make ice wines out of a myriad of other fruits with the grape-like properties? (Or is it not ice wine by definition, because of other more complex or nuanced details I'm just lacking knowledge about?)

Thanks!

Ok, heartbroken, since CT isn't on the states for delivery... will have to attempt to send it to my in-laws, though that means I will have to share it with my FIL!

North316 wrote:You obviously didn't get this reference posted by Dave...

"wine.woot is on the scene just in case you didn't know it"

I looked right over it..

speaking of looking over things, I did the same to the CT email I got requesting your friend request. I am approving it now

idealreptiles wrote:Thumbs up to the hunt, still have an 07 Vignoles ready for V day

Question: late harvest vs true Ice wine/eis wine
I have had amazing $20-$30 late harvest from California to eis wines from Germany, and even spent the bucks on the Iniskillin ice wines

Are these all true Ice Wines on the vine vs late harvest/frozen for the similar results?

My buddy made a bunch of killer late harvest that involved freezing Chardonnay grapes, so good a popular label purchased.
Don't these tent to be thicker and more syrupy than one from the vine and can not be called ice wine?

Hi Ideal Reptiles, Dan Tudor here. Thanks for the question - Do these tend to be thicker and more syrupy..

We have much more control of the quality when picking ripe fruit based on flavor, sugar, and acid and then freezing. The Maestral is perfectly balanced with natural acidity, low alc and intense fruit.

Enjoy by itself or paired with foie gras, cheese, creme brulee for dessert.

Cheers,
Dan

Natural Freezing VS Post Harvest Freezing - Cryoextraction is the same as nature freezing the grapes on the vine, but with more control and a better chance of making something really great. We've had quite a few Canadian ice wine aficionados taste the Maestral Riesling "Wein der Eisbox" and say it's the best ice wine they've ever tasted.

ethibaul wrote:You had me at "maple-y"... I grew up in Vermont, and am a firm believer that maple pretty much makes everything better.

While I'm not a connoisseur by any means, I adore ice wines. There's a burgeoning (struggling?) wine industry in Northern VT, which seems to be perfect for making these the old fashioned way. (I've seen snow in June, not that I recommend it.) One of my favorites is a wine made just after apple season, which is a very enjoyable manner to utilize the ones that didn't get picked for eating.

Pardon if this is an ignorant question. If it a fruit is able to freeze and thaw similar to the grapes in this manner, and you are able to ferment the resulting juice, is it possible to make ice wines out of a myriad of other fruits with the grape-like properties? (Or is it not ice wine by definition, because of other more complex or nuanced details I'm just lacking knowledge about?)

Thanks!

I can't imagine why it wouldn't be possible to make wine from a frozen apple! The challenge would probably be the same as for Icewine from grapes: keeping the fruit healthy from fall into winter, through waves of cool, wet and warm weather. As we've experienced warmer fall weather in recent years, this challenge has become even greater. Do you have much Indian Summer weather and rainfall in the late fall in VT? --Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

ethibaul wrote:Ok, heartbroken, since CT isn't on the states for delivery... will have to attempt to send it to my in-laws, though that means I will have to share it with my FIL!

Oh, you're in CT! You probably know, that Connecticut has the most expensive licensing process of all 50 states for direct wine shipping to its residents. We're saving up for it!

dantudor@tudorwines.com wrote:Hi Ideal Reptiles, Dan Tudor here. Thanks for the question - Do these tend to be thicker and more syrupy..

We have much more control of the quality when picking ripe fruit based on flavor, sugar, and acid and then freezing. The Maestral is perfectly balanced with natural acidity, low alc and intense fruit.

Enjoy by itself or paired with foie gras, cheese, creme brulee for dessert.

Cheers,
Dan

Amazing pairings, Dan! It's well known and enjoyed in France, but few Americans are aware of the brain-exploding deliciousness of Late Harvest (botrytis) and Icewines with Pate de Foie Gras. There are many new-fangled pates with exotic flavorings; with wine, I prefer a high-quality goose or duck pate without extra pepper or spices.

dantudor@tudorwines.com wrote:Natural Freezing VS Post Harvest Freezing - Cryoextraction is the same as nature freezing the grapes on the vine, but with more control and a better chance of making something really great. We've had quite a few Canadian ice wine aficionados taste the Maestral Riesling "Wein der Eisbox" and say it's the best ice wine they've ever tasted.

Hi Wooter's, as always, great to be back on woot. I agree with Dan. By freezing the grapes we have much more control of at what point we want to freeze the grapes and to what temperature. This way we can duplictae perfect conditions. Often in Germany we made Eis Wein when we just barely got to the right temperature and by then the grapes may have been hanging in the vineyard well into January.

jimhcv wrote:Amazing pairings, Dan! It's well known and enjoyed in France, but few Americans are aware of the brain-exploding deliciousness of Late Harvest (botrytis) and Icewines with Pate de Foie Gras. There are many new-fangled pates with exotic flavorings; with wine, I prefer a high-quality goose or duck pate without extra pepper or spices.

You're teasing us Californians! Unfortunately, the sale of Foie Gras has been banned in Cali, effective from July 1, 2012.

ajrod27 wrote:You're teasing us Californians! Unfortunately, the sale of Foie Gras has been banned in Cali, effective from July 1, 2012.

Hi Ajrod27,

we have been hosting Foie Gras w/wine, dinners before the ban and continue to do so. The dinner is actually free, but the membership in our Monterey Duck Club is $120 for the evening. The last dinner we organized was at one of the best French restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula and included 6 courses of Foie Gras dishes. If you would like to be on the invitation list email me at dantudor@tudorwines.com

Cheers!

Dan

ethibaul wrote:You had me at "maple-y"... I grew up in Vermont, and am a firm believer that maple pretty much makes everything better.

While I'm not a connoisseur by any means, I adore ice wines. There's a burgeoning (struggling?) wine industry in Northern VT, which seems to be perfect for making these the old fashioned way. (I've seen snow in June, not that I recommend it.) One of my favorites is a wine made just after apple season, which is a very enjoyable manner to utilize the ones that didn't get picked for eating.

Pardon if this is an ignorant question. If it a fruit is able to freeze and thaw similar to the grapes in this manner, and you are able to ferment the resulting juice, is it possible to make ice wines out of a myriad of other fruits with the grape-like properties? (Or is it not ice wine by definition, because of other more complex or nuanced details I'm just lacking knowledge about?)

Thanks!

You can absolutely make ice wine out of other fruit. In Niagara there are wineries that make it out of apples, blueberries, raspberries, and more. I think There's even one winery that makes solely non-grape wines. It's been a while since I've been able to truly explore since I moved to CA, but there are some excellent examples. The berry versions are obviously cryoextracted, but the apple/pear versions may be the real deal.

superspryte wrote:Ice wines are amazing, and I love the bottles here. No red ice wines makes for a sad spryte.

Also, on an (unrelated) note, I'll be in California for two weeks starting Feb 22nd...can we get an offering of Point Reyes that can be shipped to my hotel before the 7th?

When I ran Santino winery and turned it into Renwood back in the early 90's I produced an Ice Wine from Zinfandel called "Amador Ice".

dantudor@tudorwines.com wrote:Hi Ajrod27,

we have been hosting Foie Gras w/wine, dinners before the ban and continue to do so. The dinner is actually free, but the membership in our Monterey Duck Club is $120 for the evening. The last dinner we organized was at one of the best French restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula and included 6 courses of Foie Gras dishes. If you would like to be on the invitation list email me at dantudor@tudorwines.com

Cheers!

Dan

Your dinner events sound like a great experience. I'll shoot you an e-mail later today!

I've heard some restaurants are still serving Foie Gras under the notion that the Foie Gras ingredient is “complementary”. Since the law is worded in a way that the sale of the product is illegal, they have found a loophole by giving it away for free.

Ok so I took one for the team.

Opened a bottle of the Maestral tonight after dinner.

Somewhat muted nose of citrus, lemons, appricots and just a touch of honey.

On pnp straight from the fridge it was quite muted. Nice sweet honey like flavor with definite hints of the classic riesling profile and just a touch of acid.

To be completely honest, that first taste was quite a let-down, as I didn't get any complexity, no finish, and not nearly as much as acidity as I was hoping for.

Thankfully, after about 15 minutes in the glass, as it warmed closer to room temp, this wine really started to show nicely. The acidity really starts to pop as a perfect balance to the sweet riesling. Some additional nuances and more citrus and honey notes started showing on the palate and pulled through to a short to medium finish.

Glad a gave this a few minutes to open up. I usually prefer my dessert wines somewhere between fridge and cellar temp, but this definitely benefits from being closer to room temp. This is also a very young wine, and I may just have to buy some more to see how this will take to some aging.

For those looking for a comparison to the Jana Angel Eis, they are very similar in their basic flavor profiles. I would put this more in the honey apricot range with a slightly more viscous mouthfeel, where as the Angel Eis shows slight more of a cleaner crisp floral spectrum of the rieslings. Both are very good wines that I would recommend to anyone.

Thanks for the notes, North.

jimhcv wrote:I can't imagine why it wouldn't be possible to make wine from a frozen apple! The challenge would probably be the same as for Icewine from grapes: keeping the fruit healthy from fall into winter, through waves of cool, wet and warm weather. As we've experienced warmer fall weather in recent years, this challenge has become even greater. Do you have much Indian Summer weather and rainfall in the late fall in VT? --Jim, Hunt Country Vineyards

Cameron Hughes has a wonderful Ice Cider, "Cyromalus", from Quebec.

North316 wrote:Ok so I took one for the team.
Thankfully, after about 15 minutes in the glass, as it warmed closer to room temp, this wine really started to show nicely. The acidity really starts to pop as a perfect balance to the sweet riesling. Some additional nuances and more citrus and honey notes started showing on the palate and pulled through to a short to medium finish.

Glad a gave this a few minutes to open up. I usually prefer my dessert wines somewhere between fridge and cellar temp, but this definitely benefits from being closer to room temp. This is also a very young wine, and I may just have to buy some more to see how this will take to some aging

Thank you North! I forgot to mention that this wine indeed opens up after a while. Like you said, the acid comes though and the nose opens up. Cheers!