The Grapes Are Frozen
Ice wine is made from grapes that have been partially frozen on the vine. There are ice-style wines that are made from grapes that are harvested then frozen, but these cannot be labeled as ice wine. Many vineyards will let you tour their grounds during the winter months, which offers a unique contrast to what you’ll see between spring and fall.
Weingut Max Ferdinand Richter Mlheimer Helenenkloster Riesling
Liquor.com / Laura Sant
Weingut Max Ferdinand Richter produces old-school rieslings about as German as lederhosen, says Billy Wagner, one of Germanys top sommeliers. As such, expect hearty, deep flavors with this ice wine, particularly notes of caramel and licorice, a smoky finish, and sherry on the nose, among the lingering sweetness of traditional ice wine.
What Is Ice Wine And How Is It Made
Ice wine is made with late harvest grapes which are frozen right on the vine. The frozen grapes are loaded into the press and the juice, which is incredibly sweet, is harvested to make the wine. The fermentation process takes around three to six months, with a residual sweetness thats about twice as sugary as a can of Coke.
The ice wine process doesnt yield as much juice as traditional winemaking processes, so its significantly more expensive to produce. You should expect to pay about $30 per bottle for a decent ice wine.
Most ice wine is made from Gewürztraminer, Chenic Blanc, Riesling, Merlot and Grüner Veltliner grapes. In order to be a true ice wine, the grapes have to be frozen on the vine, naturallybe sure to check the labels before you buy. If you see a label that says iced wine or dessert wine, the grapes were probably commercially frozen before processing.
Read Also: Best Wines On Keto Diet
What Is Ice Wine And How Does It Compare To Regular Wine
Ice winealso known as Eiswein in Germanis a sweet wine that originates from Germany and Austria. Ice wine has become more popular in places like China and Canada over the years, and is slowly making its way to the United States. Heres how to tell the difference between regular wine vs. ice wine in Seymour, WI and what kind of pairings you might enjoy best.
Weingut Markus Huber 2012 Berg Riesling Eiswein
Eiswein doesnt take up much turf on the Austrian winemaking landscape, but what it produces can be ridiculously good, like this bustingly-ripe pick from Markus Huber. Nectar-level honey but still fresh tasting, with fruit to spare. A splurge, but also capable of aging for at least a couple of years.
Don’t Miss: Can Ups Ship Wine
What Is Ice Wine
Ice wine is a sweet wine, usually served with dessert or at the end of a meal, thats made from frozen grapes. Its one of the most labour-intensive wines to make, but the effort that goes into producing it is so worth the taste to wine lovers from around the world.
While frozen grapes are still on the vine at around -7°C , theyre plucked and pressed while theyre still frozen. Canada is the largest producer of ice wine, though you can find it from countries like Germany and Austria, too.
Ice wine typically has about double the sweetness of a classic soda. Because the juice is so sweet, fermentation lasts between 2 to 6 months. Ice wines typically have around a 10 percent ABV.
Ice wine varieties include Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Merlot. A wine can only be labelled as ice wine if it is made from naturally frozen grapes that were harvested from the vine. Wines featuring commercially frozen grapes may be labelled as dessert wine or iced wine.
If you want true ice wine from natural frozen grapes, Niagara Falls is a great place to go.
Very Demanding Conditions For The Production Of Ice Wine
The necessary conditions required for the production of ice wine are completely ripe grapes and a temperature of about minus 5 degrees C. The temperature must remain such for several days that the winemaker can complete the winemaking process. Grapes frozen in these extremely cold temperatures are eliminated at night by the winegrower and his assistants.
Read Also: Stella Rosa Billboards
How Does Ice Wine Taste Compared To Regular Wine
As noted, ice wine is incredibly sweet, so you probably wont want to break this out for a spaghetti or steak dinner. It can have some acidity, but that diminishes as it ages. If you like tartness in your wine, be sure to drink it right away.
If dessert wines like port and sweet Riesling arent your favorite, its probably best to skip the ice wine.
Great Ice Wines To Warm Your Winter
Ice wine might terrify. That sleek little bottle. The higher price tag. The legend of lurking sweetness. But if youre avoiding ice wine out of intimidation, financial or saccharine, avoid no longer. Its time to bask in the balanced sweetness of this seasonal viticultural miracle.
Or accident, depending on what you believe of history . However it began, ice wine is now part of the global viticultural cannon, produced in Germany and Austria as well as Canada, New Yorks Finger Lakes region, and even Michigan.
The majority of ice wine produced in the world comes from the great national icebox that is Canada. And thats no surprise, since ice wine depends on consistent, reliably cold temps . In fact, Germany and Austria may actually skip ice wine season if the winter doesnt seem like itll be cold enough, and thats because grapes need to reach about 17 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, most of the water will crystallize out, leaving maybe a tenth of the liquid with all the concentrated sweetness, acidity, and flavor. Basically grape super juice.
*In the U.S., Canada, Austria, and Germany, those wineries cant legally call their product ice wine, which is why youll see names like iced wine and icebox wine. Not necessarily a worse product, but remember, time on the vine is time to develop character.
Don’t Miss: How Many Fl Oz In 750 Ml
It Takes A Lot Of Grapes For One Bottle Of Ice Wine
It may take a large number of grapes to make a bottle of ice wine. Once the grapes are picked, gently squeeze them to collect only the liquid juice. Temperature creates frozen water crystals that ferment along with the sugars and particles found in idle juices. Through this process, wonderful and rare ice wine is created.
Ice Wine Is As A Diamond
Much like the value of owning a diamond, ice wine is something that many of us dream and hope to experience at some period in our lives. Although the materials are rare, weather conditions are even more crucial for the production of this wine. When the right weather conditions come, the wine maker prepares to produce this invaluable and extremely rare wine.
Recommended Reading: Best Low Carb Red Wine
Want To Try Authentic Ice Wine Book A Niagara Falls Trip
Sampling ice wine is one of the most fun Niagara Falls activities you can do. With so many spectacular Niagara Falls wineries offering ice wine experiences, its easy to build your own Niagara Falls wine trail day and sample them all.
First things first with a visit to Niagara Falls book your stay. The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel is happy to help you plan your ice wine visit, with help for transportation and anything else you need. Book a Niagara Falls vacation.
What Are Good Pairings For Ice Wine
When drinking sweet wines, either opt for a contrast or go all in and make it part of a dessert course. Ice wines can stand up to salty, bold-flavored cheese like Parmesans, blue cheese and sharp cheddars. Theyre also great for contrasting with spicy foods like Mexican or Thai. The sweetness is a refreshing change from the strongly-flavored food.
For dessert, skip the chocolate and pick a fruit-centric option that echoes the flavors in your wine. Honey, kiwi, pineapple, raisin and citrus notes are all prevalent in most ice wines try them with cobblers, pies, pineapple upside-down cake or berry-laden dishes. If your dessert is less sugary than most, the ice wine can provide a sweet-tart contrast that will bring out the best in both.
Choosing the right wine to pair with your dinner or dessert can be a challenge, especially if youre new to wine. Ask the friendly staff at the Hotel Seymour Supperclub for help choosing the right ice wine in Seymour, WI to pair with your meal. Check out our menu, then get in touch with us today to make your reservation or place your takeout order.
Don’t Miss: Carbs And Sugar In Wine
Michigan Is Ideally Suited For Ice Wine Production
Most other U.S. states cannot produce this decadent libation it just doesnt get cold enough. While not all Michigan wineries offer ice wine, many do. Consider booking a trip to the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail near Traverse City, the Thumbs Up Wine Trail in southeast Michigan or the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail.
Hunt County Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
With higher levels of acidity and sugar, ice wine is typically a good candidate for aging. Over time, brighter notes tend to recede and let a slightly richer, deeper character come out, as with this bottle from 2007darker than a young ice wine, with notes of raisin intermingling with the more traditional apricot and lighter, honeyed fruits.
Recommended Reading: Best Wine For Cheddar Cheese
The Time Is Ripe To Discover Ice Wine
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
Liquor.com / Laura Sant
Ice wine is the perfect special occasion glass. Thanks to its syrupy full-bodied consistency and rich liquid-gold hue, the dessert wine is thought of as being deeply indulgent, despite being lower in alcohol than most wines, at around 10% ABV.
Squeezing frozen grapes into small but sweet concentrations is a technique dating as far back as ancient Rome. Germany has called it a homegrown delicacy since the late 18th century, and in North America, the style seems to have caught on in the 1970s, sparked by a German in Canadas Okanagan Valley.
Once a chance for farmers to save their crops after an unforeseen frost, making ice wine is a dying art. Fewer winemakers are leaving grapes on the vine after harvest, because these days that cold snap can no longer be counted on to come.
In Germany, now the worlds second-largest producer of ice wine after Canada, 2019s warm winter left an unprecedented situation: All but one harvest failed. Due to global warming, the chance of harvesting ice wine grapes at minus 7 degrees Celsius has drastically decreased over the past 10 years, says Ernst Büscher, a spokesperson for the German Wine Institute.
There Is Not A Lot Of Ice Wine In The World
Ironically, ice wine is produced in very small quantities. With the lack of availability to produce it and the best quality, the product is remarkably rare indeed. Truth be told, there are only rare lucky people who can actually buy wine. Due to the small amount, ice wine can be extremely expensive for most of us and out of the price range.
Read Also: Bluet Wine
Peller Estates Signatures Series Cabernet Franc
Liquor.com / Laura Sant
This red ice wine from Peller Estates, in Canadas Niagara region, is made of 100% cabernet franc. As you might expect given the grape, bold red berries, rhubarb and pomegranate are a few of the flavors youll find here. While ice wines tend to pair well with spicy cuisine and desserts, this is a great candidate for pairing with salty olives and cheeses.
Try In The Pacific Northwest Region
The best way to find and experience ice wine is to find the right wine producer in the Pacific Northwest region. Even though the bottles go extremely fast once theyre made, you may be able to catch a winemaker with something on hand. Be prepared to spend a hefty amount. Although it can cost a lot and is extremely difficult to find the taste of ice wine is therefore worth the effort.
Read Also: Making Drinking Glasses Out Of Beer Bottles
Where To Buy Ice Wine
by Joze | May 18, 2020 | Wine |
Although there are several types of wine you buy, the most unknown are ice wines. So where to buy ice wine if it is so rare on the market? Ice wine is a scarce form of wine. Ice wine is a wine that is produced in certain types of weather conditions. Ice wine is produced mostly in the Pacific Northwest region, where the weather conditions are right for this type of wine.
How Is Ice Wine Made
To make ice wine, the winemaker leaves the grapes on the vine, long after traditional has ended, hoping neither rain nor hungry wildlife gets the grapes first. As soon as the temperature drops sufficiently and the grapes freeze, the grapes must be picked before dawn, and pressed before they thaw. Because much of the water in the grapes is frozen, the pressed juice is concentrated, rich in flavor and high in sugar and acidity.
Also Check: What Wine Goes Good With Lasagna
What Does Ice Wine Taste Like
As mentioned, ice wine is very sweet. It can come in a variety of flavours, like fruit flavours and chocolate flavour. This makes it great to sip while enjoying dessert.
Ice wines sweetness also makes it best paired with rich flavoured foods, like cheese and foie gras. Fatty foods can help balance out the taste profile with the sweetness of the wine. If youre having ice wine for a late-night snack or want to drink it before or during your meal, opt for a heavier, fattier food option.
Where To Buy The Best Ice Wine In Toronto
Hi, I am in Toronto and do not have time to go to Niagra to buy wine. Where in Toronto can I get the best selection of Icewine?
Thank you!
Probably your best bet is the LCBO on Queen’s Quay on the waterfront. LCBO is the government run liquor stores which is really the only place to buy other than the wineries and the price is all the same.
LCBO Queens Quay Store
2 Cooper Street
This is the store with the largest selection of unique products.
LCBO = Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and by “control” we mean serious control. We do not have routine liquor stores here, or liquor sold in convenience stores. There are some licensed outlets specific to certain wineries, but essentially, all liquor and wine sales in this province are controlled by the government.
The LCBO on Queen’s Quay is a great store, good sized with much choice. However, there are some others that are closer to the downtown area, on a subway line .
There’s a moderate sized one under the Manulife Centre at Bay & Bloor. There’s a new, good sized one at King & Spadina.
My personal favourite branch in the city is the Summerhill location I think it’s the city’s largest one, and it often has product that none of the other LCBOs have one-off cases, etc. The building it’s in was a former CN Railway station, so the architecture is pretty cool, too. It’s on the subway line, there’s a ton of great shops and restaurants in the area, too, if you’re looking to make a little jaunt out of it.
Don’t Miss: Best Low Calorie White Wine
