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Inniskillin: Frozen Vidal and barrel fermentation
A Canadian producer launched in 1975, based in both Niagara and Okanagan. Best known for ice wine made from grapes naturally frozen on the vine, they achieved their first Vidal ice wine harvest in 1984.
Compare two technical documents from 2014 for Niagara Vidal and Gold Vidal. Read them as concrete cases for that vintage, focusing on winter harvest and differing production methods after fermentation.
Questions for this course
If the method is called ice wine, does the fermentation vessel have to be the same?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
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Canada / Ontario / Niagara Peninsula
Update date: 2026-09-24
Harvest crosses over the year
Two documents for 2014 state that on January 5, 2015, ice wine harvest began at around minus 10°C. Even though the harvest occurred in the following year, the vintage listed in the documents is 2014. By distinguishing between the year the grapes grew and the date of winter work, you can clarify this relationship between the dates.
Freezing and fermentation occur at different temperatures.
Reference materials for Vidal generally describe extracting a small amount of concentrated juice from naturally frozen grapes on the vine, then slow fermentation at an average of 15°C. Harvesting at low temperatures is a step for concentration. Do not read –10°C as the actual alcoholic fermentation temperature.
Barrel fermentation of Gold
For Gold Vidal 2014, after pressing the grapes, the must is settled at low temperatures for three days, then fermentation begins using selected yeast. Fermentation lasts for 16 days at an average of 15°C in new French oak, followed by another 3 months of barrel maturation. Please note that 16 days and 3 months refer to different steps in the process, not alternative versions of the same step.
Even in the same year, the values do not match exactly.
According to the source, the normal Vidal has a residual sugar of 240g/L and the Gold has 255g/L, with both at 9.5% alcohol. Even with the same grape variety and vintage, the finished products have different values. However, with only these two sources, you cannot attribute the difference in residual sugar specifically to barrels, nor should you generalize to current product specifications.
What to align and what to compare.
Raw material
- Conditions to standardize
- Niagara Vidal 2014
- Conditions for comparison.
- Selection of raw materials for each product
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not treat it as an experiment dividing the same juice
Temperature
- Conditions to standardize
- Frozen fruit harvested in winter
- Conditions for comparison.
- Harvest approx. −10°C, fermentation average 15°C
- Additional points to confirm
- Match the process to numbers
Time
- Conditions to standardize
- Barrel use for Gold
- Conditions for comparison.
- 16 days of fermentation and 3 months of maturation
- Additional points to confirm
- Limit to actual cases from 2014
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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- 1↗
Canada
Niagara Peninsula: Between the lake and the escarpment.
Confirm the positions of lakes and vineyards in Niagara.
- 2↗
Canada
Icewine: From Freezing to Pressing
Read about the process from freezing to pressing.
- 3↗
Canada
Read varieties in terms of ripening and frost resistance.
Read about Vidal and other Icewine varieties.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Inniskillin document analysis: Frozen Vidal and barrel fermentation
Verify the subjects of the ingredients, processes, and sources, and confirm the conditions for comparison.
The numbers are based on technical data for the indicated year, or the product description at the time of confirmation. Where no year is specified, the description does not guarantee the specifications for all years or all shipments.
| Comparison items | Vidal 2014 | Gold Vidal 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Region and raw material | Niagara Peninsula / Vidal | Niagara Peninsula / Vidal |
| Fermentation | Average 15°C, container and days not specified | New French oak, average 15°C, 16 days |
| Subsequent barrel aging. | No explicit duration stated in the reference material | An additional 3 months |
| Residual sugar/alcohol | 240g/L／9.5% | 255g/L／9.5% |
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What does the average temperature of 15°C in the source material refer to?
An average of 15°C refers to the fermentation temperature. By separating this from the harvesting conditions of about minus 10°C, you can distinguish between the process of pressing frozen grapes and the stage when yeast works.
Barrel use for Gold 2014?
After fermenting for 16 days in new French oak, there is an additional 3 months of barrel aging. Do not combine the two periods mentioned in the materials into one; address them in process order.
What can be certainly deduced from the residual sugar difference between 240g/L and 255g/L?
What can be confirmed is that two products in the target year had different values. As this is not a controlled comparison using identical raw materials and fermentation management, you cannot attribute the difference to barrels alone.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Compare the raw materials and processes in the official documents and explain the insights you can derive from the comparison.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Vidal 2014 | Gold Vidal 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Region and raw material | Niagara Peninsula / Vidal | Niagara Peninsula / Vidal |
| Fermentation | Average 15°C, container and days not specified | New French oak, average 15°C, 16 days |
| Subsequent barrel aging. | No explicit duration stated in the reference material | An additional 3 months |
| Residual sugar/alcohol | 240g/L／9.5% | 255g/L／9.5% |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Please explain the process of harvesting, settling after pressing, fermentation, and maturation in order for Gold Vidal 2014. Add comments on what can and cannot be inferred from the difference in residual sugar compared to standard Vidal.
Check after writing
- Did you separate the temperatures for harvest and fermentation?
- Did you distinguish between the periods for fermentation and barrel aging?
- Is there a risk of generalizing values to all current products?
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