Ontario Wineries Launch Fracette, a New Sparkling Wine Made With Icewine
A new Canadian sparkling wine style has arrived in Ontario this September. Fracette sparkling wine uses Canadian Icewine during its second fermentation. Six VQA Ontario wines are launching under the newly established category.
The name combines “frozen” and “facet,” referencing frozen grapes and the wine’s layered character. Unlike traditional sweet Icewine, Fracette finishes as a dry sparkling wine. Producers describe citrus, orchard fruit, subtle richness, and minerality among its defining characteristics.
What Makes Fracette Different?
Fracette producers use Icewine as the sugar source that starts the sparkling wine’s second fermentation. Yeast consumes that sugar while creating the wine’s bubbles. The process keeps the finished wine dry while retaining flavour from the Icewine.
Ontario has also formally recognized Fracette within its VQA wine regulations. The designation requires producers to use tirage liqueur derived exclusively from qualifying Icewine. This gives the category specific production rules beyond a shared marketing name.
“We kept asking what a truly Canadian sparkling could be,” said Arterra Wines CEO John Boyton. He described Fracette as a style that could only emerge from Canada’s Icewine tradition.
Six Ontario Wines Lead the Launch
Three major Canadian wine companies collaborated on the launch. Together, their wineries are introducing six different Fracette expressions. The lineup includes Brut and rosé styles across several familiar Ontario labels.
The first collection includes:
- Inniskillin Fracette Rosé
- Peller Estates Private Reserve Fracette Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine
- Henry of Pelham Fracette Sparkling Rosé
- Thirty Bench Fracette Brut
- Saintly Fracette
- Kew Vineyards Fracette
The wines arrive through the LCBO, participating winery estates, The Wine Shops, and Wine Rack locations. LCBO listings currently show both Kew Fracette and Inniskillin Fracette Rosé with September 12 releases.
A New Direction for Ontario Icewine
Fracette arrives as Niagara’s wine industry continues expanding beyond its traditional Icewine reputation. Food & Wine recently highlighted Niagara’s growing restaurants, wineries, and culinary experiences beyond its famous sweet wines.
That growth has not diminished Icewine’s importance to the region. Forbes described Icewine as a defining part of Niagara’s international wine identity in June 2026. The publication also highlighted the region’s expanding roster of acclaimed wineries and restaurants.
Wine Enthusiast has also described Canada as the world’s largest Icewine producer. Its reporting highlights the precise cold temperatures required for a successful harvest. Those conditions remain an important part of what makes Canadian Icewine distinctive.
Fracette takes that established Canadian specialty in another direction. Instead of positioning Icewine as the finished dessert wine, producers use it within a dry sparkling style. The result gives Ontario wineries another way to build on the country’s cold-climate winemaking identity.
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References:
- Food & Wine — The New Way to Taste Niagara Goes Way Beyond Ice Wines
- Forbes — Niagara’s Wine Region Has Never Been More Charming
- Wine Enthusiast — Climate Change and Canada’s Icewine Industry
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