Amidst a wintery landscape blanketed in frost, where the vineyards slumber beneath an icy embrace, a hidden treasure awaits. In this realm of frozen beauty, a remarkable elixir is born, crafted by nature's whims and human determination. Its name whispers through the frost-kissed air, invoking intrigue and anticipation. Icewine, a liquid jewel of the vineyard, captures nature's most exquisite flavors. With each sip, an ethereal symphony unfolds upon the tongue, revealing a symphony of sweetness and complexity, leaving those who dare to indulge forever captivated by its enigmatic allure.
Have you ever wondered how icewine is made and what makes this nectar of the Gods so rare and special?
In this in-depth guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about icewine: what it is, what are its main characteristics, how it is made and how to best enjoy it.
Icewine, also known as Eiswein, is a type of late-harvest wine or vendange tardive ("VT") in French, made from grapes that have been left on the vine to freeze and harvested after the first frost.
In some places, it may take months for frost to arrive, and in that period, Mother Nature has to be on the winemakers' side while they do everything possible to protect the grapes from hungry birds. All of these conditions factor into driving the price up for the wine.
Regulations require temperatures to plummet to a minimum of -8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or below. As the water in the grapes evaporates, sugars, flavours, and aromatic compounds concentrate to unparalleled levels producing a one of a kind, full-bodied and intensely aromatic wine.
Ice wine differs from other sweet wines in several key ways:
Grapes are left on the vine until they freeze naturally, usually in late autumn or early winter. The freezing temperature allows the water within the grapes to crystallize, leaving behind highly concentrated sugars, acids, and flavors. Harvest occurs before sunrise to prevent grape thaw as the ice crystals will destroy the cell walls. Thus, the harvest must be completed within a few hours of the first frost. In contrast, other dessert wines, including other late harvest wines, are typically made from grapes that are harvested when ripe but not frozen.
Icewines are significantly sweeter, even compared to other sweet wines. Their high sugar content ranges between 160 and 220 g/L of residual sugar. The freezing process concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a much sweeter final product. High sugar means low alcohol content as fermentation converts sugar into alcohol. Icewine varies in alcohol content from as low 6% to as high 10% ABV.
The freezing process preserves high levels of natural acidity in the grapes, providing a balance to the intense sweetness. In contrast, other dessert wine may undergo processes like fortification or drying, which can reduce acidity.
Ice wine is known for its intense aromatics and flavor profile. The concentration of sugars, acids, and other compounds during freezing results in complex flavors of tropical fruit, honey, apricots, and citrus, among others. The aroma and flavor characteristics of ice wine are often described as rich, luscious, and intensely sweet.
Producing ice wine presents unique challenges. Grapes must be harvested and pressed while still frozen. The frozen grapes yield less juice due to the water content being frozen, requiring a larger quantity of grapes.
The exact amount of water lost during the production of these sweet wines can vary depending on several factors, including the grape variety, growing conditions, and winemaking techniques.
These factors, combined with the unpredictable weather conditions necessary for the grapes to freeze, make ice wine production more labor-intensive and limited in quantity compared to other dessert wines.
Overall, ice wine stands out for its distinct production method, higher sugar concentration, natural bright acidity, intense aromatics, and unique flavor profile, making it a sought-after and prized dessert wine.
Icewine is produced around the world: from Germany to the United States or even in Japan (in the Hokkaido region). But undoubtedly, Canada is the world's largest producer of ice wine. In 2021 alone, the country generated 14.38 million dollars through the export of ice wine! Within Canada, Ontario accounts for 90% of the icewine production.
Canada has some of the most northern vineyards in the world. The land formations in Canada, typically run north to south, with little to no barrier to arctic air penetrating the vineyards and blanketing vineyards in freezing temperatures and providing the natural components necessary for the production of high quality ice wines.
Some of the best-known regions for ice wine production in Canada are:
South of the Canadian border, the Finger Lakes region in New York State is known for its production of ice wine. The Finger Lakes is a cool-climate wine region with several lakes, running north to south, a short distance away from Lake Ontario, that help moderate temperatures and create favorable conditions for ice wine production.
It's worth noting that climatic conditions, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques can vary across regions, resulting in diverse styles of ice wines.
Due to the increasing influence on climate change, it is not possible to produce ice wine every year. As such, as a wine enthusiast rejoice when you can get your hands on a vintage of ice wine. Don't buy just a bottle, buy a case to the cellar, and open a bottle for that special occasion.
Dessert wine varies by production techniques, grape varieties, and flavor profiles, offering a diverse range of options for wine enthusiasts with a preference for sweet and luscious wines:
In most countries, the temperature must be -8°C or lower. For this reason, to produce ice wine it is necessary to use grapes resistant to very low temperatures. The most commonly used varieties are:
The process consists of the 4 steps detailed below:
Although it can also be done artificially, through the cryoextraction process, for true icewine it is necessary to wait for very cold temperatures for the grapes to freeze in the vines. The frozen grapes concentrate a greater amount of sugar, thus allowing the production of sweeter wines!
After the harvest, the grapes are pressed. At this stage, the juice is obtained, which will later be fermented and turned into wine. There is usually only 10% to 20% juice left for vinification, much less compared to non-frozen grapes.
Fermentation can take several months, due to the large amount of sugar in the juice. Once some of the sugar has been converted into alcohol, fermentation can be stopped.
Well, that will depend on the flavor profile the winemaker wants to achieve: to produce very sweet wines with low alcohol levels, then a fermentation of up to 3 months will be enough. However, if the winemaker wants to produce wines with an alcohol level of 13%, then he should wait at least 5 or 6 months.
Filtering is a very important step since the juice of frozen grapes usually has a higher amount of sediment than that of non-frozen grapes. Once filtered, the wine is typically bottled in 375 ml bottles. This is due to the small volume of wine produced and the higher price.
Now, you are probably wondering how to drink a bottle of ice wine. Here, we will explain how to serve it and with which foods it pairs best.
Due to the particular characteristics of Icewine, it is advisable to follow the following steps to serving ice wines and enjoy their concentrated flavors to the fullest.
To answer this, we must consider the unique qualities of ice wine: high sugar content, imparting sweetness, yet perfectly balanced by its high acidity. So, taking this into account, it is much easier to understand what kind of food ice wine goes best with. Below, we will give you some ideas for pairing some styles of icewine:
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