Wine and Movie Pairing: Ice Wines for Icy Blondes
“Why should the Falls drag me down here at 5 o'clock in the morning?”
Since The Criterion Channel is pulling out all the stops with their new Vacation Noir collection, let’s kick off the dog days of summer with “the most Hitchcockian movie Hitchcock never made”. Today we’re pairing the classic film noir thriller Niagara (1953) with the best dessert wine from the Niagara Escarpment - the 2017 Leonard Oakes Vidal Blanc Ice Wine.
L to R: Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe), Polly Cutler (Jean Peters), and Ray Cutler (Max Showalter) in Niagara.
Niagara (1953) was the first film in which Marilyn Monroe got top billing. Newlyweds Ray and Polly Cutler (Max Showalter and Jean Peters) arrive at the Rainbow Cabins on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls for a delayed honeymoon, only to get entangled in the drama of the married couple currently encamped in their room (George and Rose Loomis, played by Joseph Cotten and the aforementioned Monroe). When relationships between the couples begin to strain, whose secret ambitions will succeed, and who will end up dead?
This was the first of three Marilyn Monroe movies to be released in 1953, and a noticeable character change for someone who is widely recognized as a musical comedienne. Director Henry Hathaway pushed for the casting of James Mason (NORTH BY NORTHWEST) as George Loomis, and had originally cast Anne Baxter (ALL ABOUT EVE) as Polly Cutler. When both actors dropped out, Hathaway worked with screenwriters Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Richard L. Breen to refocus the script on Rose Loomis as the femme fatale. It was a move that paid off handsomely.
For all the natural beauty of Niagara Falls, the twisty screenplay, and the committed performances from a solid ensemble cast, Niagara is Marilyn’s movie. The costume and makeup departments do a lot of work to enhance Ms. Monroe’s lit-from-within glow (we’re not gonna talk about the shower with the full face of waterproof makeup), but it’s the actress herself that compels the other characters and the audience to come closer, but not too close.
The record scene with Marilyn in the pink dress may be the iconic still for Niagara (and that’s on the power of Technicolor), but I think the shot that sums up the movie is Rose Loomis’ walk on the cobblestone street. Known as the longest walk in cinematic history, about 27 seconds of the movie and 116 feet of film were dedicated to watching Rose walk away from the camera in a red crop jacket, a black pencil skirt, and black heels(!). In those 27 seconds, the audience clearly sees Rose walking towards something she desperately wants, but flashing a black widow’s warning of red and black from behind. We love back acting here in the Banson household, and this is an easy Top 10 All Time selection to the Back Acting Hall of Fame.
Director Henry Hathaway (left) with actors Marilyn Monroe and Jean Peters on the set of Niagara.
For the wine pairing, I wanted to highlight a wine region that is still regarded as an underrated gem. It only makes sense to profile a wine from the Niagara Escarpment AVA in western New York when talking about the movie Niagara. Here we have a style of dessert wine that is famous in both Canada and the northern United States, with a tempting, lusciously sweet taste profile that almost defies its name. Introducing the blonde femme fatale of the Niagara Escarpment - the 2017 Leonard Oakes Vidal Blanc Ice Wine!
2017 Leonard Oakes Vidal Blanc Ice Wine (Photo Credit: Vertdevin Magazine)
Ice wine is a specific style of dessert wine that gets its chilling name from the viticultural technique used to make it. In order to naturally concentrate sugar levels in wine grapes, vintners in colder regions will leave grapes on the vine until late in the harvest season, only picking the grapes once they’ve frozen over. From there, the excess water is separated from the syrupy sweet grape juice that will eventually become a potent dessert wine. Germany started making eiswein in the 19th Century, but Canada and New York have since established themselves as North American hubs of ice wine as well.
Leonard Oakes Winery only makes their award-winning ice wine in select vintages, making it a delectable rarity. Vidal Blanc is the grape of choice here, a white French-American hybrid grape that is almost synonymous with ice wine from Canada and New York.
Surprisingly, Leonard Oakes’ ice wine is lower in alcohol than other dessert wines. The 2017 vintage clocks in at less than 13% ABV, resulting in a sweet wine with ample caramelized fruit notes and a full bodied presence on the palate, but a surprising amount of structure and acidity that is both puzzling and refreshing. Much like a good film noir, this is a wine that lets the drinker assume one thing before it swerves in a different direction. This is one of those wines that needs to be sipped and appreciated from many different angles to get the full picture. Just don’t discount the long, confident finish reminiscent of a black widow leaving behind a webbed trail of sweetness.
Since the wineries that produce ice wine often make hard cider as well, I’d try this ice wine with a hearty apple pie or apple crisp. Bonus points if you include a nod to the border-straddling nature of both the film and the wine by topping the apple-based dessert with French vanilla ice cream. Either way, it’s best to consume both before you hear the bells play “Kiss”.
Leonard Oakes tasting room employees Ben Jones and Sarah Geer toast with Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. Photo Credit: Mallory Diefenbach/The Daily News.
The 2017 vintage of Leonard Oakes’ Vidal Blanc is available at your local independent wine store. You can also check WineSearcher for details on stockists near you.
Niagara (1953) is currently available to stream as part of the Vacation Noir collection on The Criterion Channel. You can also rent it on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home. Purchase the Blu-Ray or DVD version wherever physical media is sold.