Saw that Alastair Bathgate was plugging a Jackson Triggs Ice Wine on his ‘Confessions of a Wino‘ blog. I featured one here last week, but I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the remarkable Leduc Piedimonte Ice Cider 2006 that I tried earlier this year. That’s right, Ice Cider, which as different from conventional cider as Ice Wine is from regular wine. It’s made only in Quebec, where winter temperatures in the orchard fall as low as –25ºC. The apples are allowed to freeze on the trees and then are picked and crushed, yielding tiny amounts of sugar-rich juice, which is then fermented. The result is a heady, concentrated apple-y nectar, massively intense, but with a tangy smoky, finish to keep everything fresh. Wonderful, unusual, and perfect with Stilton, it’s £25.00 a half from Top Selection.