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Hi and Thank you for the forum What is a good variety to plant for Ice Wine? I'm told a Reisling??? I live on the north shore of Lake Erie Vern
Reisling and Vidal are the most common
Try to find a variety that is not susceptible to botrytis. Letting the clusters hang for so long can bring up many mildew problems that are difficult to control in some varieties
Royal DeMaria in Vineland, ON has proved that almost any grape variety can be made into icewine (their Cab Franc one is exquisite).
Vidal is a good choice. I have 1/2 acre of Vidal and make a table wine and also a Vin de Cure (www.goldenbeaverwinery.com) Vidal is fairly resistant to mildew and botrytis, has a tough skin, and stands up to the nasty cold weather. Always best to use bird netting to prevent the birds from eating the grapes before the grapes are ready to pick for icewine.
Vidal is certainly a hardy and reliable choice but to my taste has always lacked finesse. I would go with a Reisling for a wine that has aging potential (as truly great ice wines do) and Cab Franc for immediate enjoyment. Probably my overall favorite taste in icewine is a perfectly balanced 2-3 year old Cab Franc. Um Um Good.