A Sweet Mistake
It's the dead of night in mid-January, harvesters assemble to pick thousands of frozen solid grapes in sub-zero temperatures. An arduous harvest is followed by a finicky fermentation, all for the majestic creation of ice wine. What began as a blunder, is now a celebrated phenomenon.
Ice wines are some of the most sought-after wines across the globe, and can command seriously high prices. During the freezing process, grapes become deeply concentrated, resulting in wines that are lusciously sweet and abundant in acidity, with layers of richness and complexity.
The Process
Grapes destined for ice wine are left on the vine into the winter months until temperatures drop to around -7 °C (in Canada, -8°C is the minimum temperature permitted). Then, at a moment's notice, the grapes must be hand-harvested before temperatures rise. The grapes must then be crushed and pressed before they thaw. Harvests usually happen at night to ensure optimal freezing temperatures, typically in January.
As the water content in grapes freeze, sugars and acids are concentrated by density, the resulting juice is extraordinarily sweet(about 32-46 Brix). Because of the syrupy, sticky juice, fermentation takes a long time(3-6 months is common). The resulting wines are around 10% abv and have sugar levels from 160-220 g/L (about two times the sugar in pop).
How it Started
The story goes that in 1794, Franken, Germany experienced an uncommonly cold winter, freezing much of the grapes in the area. With little optimism, the decision was made to make wine from the frozen grapes, they were surprised at the delightful results! The technique became popular in Germany and throughout the mid-1800s continued to spread around the world.
Canada, the largest producer of ice wine, has a similar origin story. German immigrant Walter Hainle produced Canada's first ice wine in 1972, it was the result of an early and unplanned frost in the Okanagan Valley. He had no plans of selling any bottles, but word spread of this sensational dessert wine, and soon ended up on the market in 1978.
"Icewine" has been trademarked by Canada, and wineries labeling as such must meet stringent standards. All Vitis vinifera or Vidal Blanc grapes are permitted, the most popular varietals for ice wine in Canada tend to be Riesling, Vidal Blanc, and Cabernet Franc.
Canada produces more ice wine than all other countries combined and is sold in more than 75 countries, the majority coming from the Niagara Falls area in Ontario. Germany, Austria, and the United States are also notable producers.
