Substitute for Ice Wine

Icewine is made from grapes left on the vine until they freeze naturally, then pressed while frozen so only a small amount of concentrated juice runs out. The result is very sweet but also sharply acidic, with apricot, honey and tropical fruit flavors. In cooking, it supplies sweetness, body and tang in one pour, usually in desserts, sauces for foie gras or duck, and dressings for fruit or cheese. A substitute has to cover sweetness and acidity together.

Desserts and sabayon

For sabayon, poached fruit, granita and panna cotta, Sauternes comes closest in richness; add a squeeze of lemon if the dessert tastes flat. Late-harvest Riesling keeps the bright acidity but is lighter, so sweeten it slightly. Sweet Muscat suits peaches and berries, where its floral aroma fits. Whichever wine goes into a sabayon, whisk it with the yolks over barely simmering water so the eggs thicken without scrambling.

Sauces and glazes

Pan sauces for duck, pork or foie gras reduce the wine with stock or butter. Any of the sweet wines work at the same volume, and ice cider is especially good with pork and apples. Reduce slowly: high sugar content means the sauce can scorch before it thickens.

Dressings and raw uses

A spoonful of icewine in a vinaigrette for blue cheese or fruit salad adds sweetness and acid together. Late-harvest Riesling or ice cider replace it neatly. The reduced grape juice with lemon is the alcohol-free choice, and works well since raw dressings show the lack of alcohol least.

When not to substitute

When icewine is served on its own or poured over a simple dessert as the focus, such as icewine-macerated berries or an icewine jelly, the specific flavor is the point. Sauternes or late-harvest wine makes a fine dish, but a different one.

For an alcohol-free table, avoid all the wine swaps rather than relying on cooking: sauces reduced briefly keep much of their alcohol.

Common mistakes

• Using port. Its red-fruit, raisin and spice flavors clash with the pale fruit dishes icewine usually goes into.
• Replacing it with a dry wine. Desserts lose both sweetness and body.
• Boiling the sauce hard. Sweet wines caramelize and burn quickly.
• Using grape juice straight from the carton. Without reducing it, it is too thin and lacks acidity.