What canadain wine is banned in the EU due to it's high alcohol content?

Question

The little knowledge i have...... the grapes aren't picked off the vine until winter sets in.....which gives the wine it's special qualities.

Answer 1

You are thinking of Canadian ice-wine which was banned from import to the EU. There were a number of reasons, but the primary one was was because of the POTENTIAL alcohol. Ice wine has a fairly low alcohol content but a very high level of residual sugar. If the wine was fermented to dryness, i.e. if all the remaining sugar was converted to alcohol, then its alcohol level would be potentially very high. This was the main reason given.

Not only Canadian ice wines were affected, sweet wines from places such as South Africa were also hit.

Cynics may think that protectionism from German and Austrian ice-wine makers was behind the ban, but bi-lateral agreements over the identification of ice-wine (i.e. only naturally frozen grapes used) etc are in force and you can buy Canadian ice-wine in the UK from Oddbins who have a fine Vidal ice wine from Ch des Charmes and the Wine Society has Jackson Triggs ice wine.

Answer 2

Canadian icewine was, indeed, banned in the EU until laws were amended in May 2001. The ban, which had been in place for over twenty years, was put in place because of the high SUGAR content of the wine. There may have been mention of the alcohol levels as well, though this was not cited as the main reason and I do not recall any direct reference to this, as Eisweins from Germany and Austria, with similar alcohol levels were still permitted at the time.

To simplify the process: The grapes used to produce icewine are left on the vine until the first frosts set in (very late for the harvest) in order that some of the water in the fruit will freeze so that the juice will be more intense and concentrated when it comes to pressing, allowing for a higher level of residual sugar after fermentation.

Since the ban was lifted, Canadian icewine has won numerous awards and is widely recognised as some of the best late-harvest sweet wine in the world.

I hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

As far as I know, there is no wine banned in the EU because of its alcohol strength. Also I know of no Canadian wines. Wine generally cannot achieve a strength above 15% because anything above this kills the yeast and stops fermentation. Wines like port and sherry are artificially fortified by adding brandy. Until recently the French liqueur Absinthe was banned in the EU, not because of strength, but because of hallucinogens left after distillation. It is no longer banned (due to better quality control eliminating the impurities that caused the problem). Canada, like most countries, produces spirits up to 40% abv. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

the wine you describe is most likely ice wine. which to my knowledge is not banned in EU or anywhere else. Might be absinthe as somebody else mentioned? Thujone that is in the wormwood that abinthe is distilled from is a mild hallucinogin and is banned in many countries.