Ice Wine

Ice wine is a rare and expensive dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The grapes are left on the vine well into the winter, and the water in the grapes freeze. When the grapes are pressed, only the concentrated juice flows out, resulting in a very sweet wine with flavors of tropical and citrus fruits. The main grape varieties used for ice wine include:

• Riesling - Produces ice wine with flavors of apricot, peach, honey, and lemon in a light, elegant style. Mainly produced in Germany, Canada, and the United States (Finger Lakes region of New York).

• Vidal Blanc - A white hybrid grape that produces apricot, mango and pineapple flavors. Almost exclusively made in Canada, especially the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario.

• Cabernet Franc - A red grape that produces strawberry, raspberry and red currant flavors with floral and herbaceous notes. Produced mostly in Canada, especially British Columbia.

• Merlot - A red grape that produces black cherry, blueberry, chocolate and spice flavored ice wine. Also mainly produced in Canada.

The production of ice wine requires precise weather conditions. The grapes must remain undamaged on the vine and the temperature has to drop quickly below -8°C very soon after harvest, which does not always happen. The grapes are harvested manually, typically at night when the temperature is the coldest. The frozen grapes are then pressed, and the concentrated must is fermented at a low temperature.

Due to the labor-intensive process and loss of crop, ice wine is rare and expensive. Canada is the largest producer of ice wine due to favorable climate conditions. However, Germany and Austria also have a long history of producing Eiswein. In recent years, the United States (mainly New York), as well as New Zealand have also produced high quality ice wines.

Ice wine offers a rich, sweet palate of honey, ripe and dried fruits. It is usually enjoyed chilled in small quantities due to its high sugar levels, and pairs well with desserts like blue cheese, cheesecake or fruit salad. At its best, ice wine can be a revelation, providing an intensity of fruit flavors not found in any other wine.