Beware of cheap icewine … my mother always tells me to avoid the word cheap, so let me try this again … Beware of inexpensive icewine (“that’s better dear”), it’s usually a sign that the wine has turned or is on the verge of turning into vinegar – sweet vinegar, but vinegar none the less. If you drink it soon, you still get icewine sweetness and enjoyment for a fraction of the usual price, though it has a tendency to wilt quickly in the glass. I’m about to give you a tip on the best deal on an aged icewine and what to do with it, so listen up. Willow Springs is blowing this wine out the door for $9.95 … At first I was leery, for the reasons mentioned above, up until they let me try it and I realized there was a little life left in this bottle (not much, but some). The nose is slightly sherried, but not enough to be off-putting, more like an invitation to try it … in fact, if you dig sweet sherry, this wine just might be right up your alley. A nose that loads itself with dried apricot, pears, buckwheat-honey and nutty aromas – all followed by a taste that delivers almonds, raisins, dried apricots and pears along with some honey onto the tongue. If your expecting fresh, fruity and lively, look elsewhere, but if you dig on aged icewine, sherry, or anything unique to drink for dessert – this is your cup of tea, so to speak. It can also be used as a mixer in sparkling wine to give it a shot of sweetness amongst all those dry bubbles … not a bad idea for having a sweet New Year.