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Ice wine producers The most famous (and expensive) ice wines are German Eiswein, but ice wine is also made in Canada as well as in the United States, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Australia, and New Zealand in smaller quantity. Eiswein is part of the QmP category in the German wine classification. Ice wine production in Canada is regulated by the Vintners Quality Alliance. In contrast to most other wine producing regions, Canada has very consistent freezes in winter and has become the largest ice wine producer in the world. The Pillitteri Estate Winery in Ontario, Canada recently asserted itself as the largest icewine producer in the world, overcoming the well known Inniskillin. Production Natural ice wines require a hard freeze (by law in Canada a minimum of -8 °C/ 17 °F and in Germany a minimum of -7 °C/ 19 °F) to occur sometime after the grapes are ripe, which means that the grapes may hang on the vine for several months following the normal harvest. If a freeze does not come quickly enough, the grapes may rot and the crop will be lost. If the freeze is too severe, no juice can be extracted. Vineland Winery in Ontario once broke their pneumatic press in the 1990s while pressing the frozen grapes because they were too hard (the temperature was close to -20 °C). Birds, bear, deer, and other wild animals will eat more fruit the longer harvest is delayed and increase in dropped fruit will also reduce yield the longer it hangs on the vine. Since the fruit must be pressed while still frozen, pickers often must work at night or very early in the morning, harvesting the grapes within a few hours, while cellar workers must work in unheated spaces. Some winemakers use cryoextraction (that is, mechanical freezing) to simulate the effect of a frost and typically do not leave the grapes to hang for extended periods as is done with a natural ice wine. An example is Bonny Doon's Vin de Glaciere (icebox wine). In Germany and Canada the grapes must freeze naturally to be called ice wine. The high sugar level in the leads to a slower than normal fermentation. It may take months to complete the fermentation (compared to days or weeks for regular wines) and special strains of yeasts should be used. Because of the lower yield of grape musts and the difficulty of processing, ice wines are significantly more expensive than table wines. They are often sold in half-bottle volume (375 ml). "New World" wineries, in particular, sometimes bottle 200 ml and 50 ml gift packages. Varietal grapes Typical grapes used for ice wine production are: Riesling, considered to be the most noble variety by Germans; Vidal Blanc, highly popular in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada; and, interestingly, the red grape Cabernet Franc. Many vintners, especially from the New World, are experimenting with making ice wine from other varieties: whites such as Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Ehrenfelser or reds such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, or even Cabernet Sauvignon. One winery from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region of Ontario recently claimed to be the first winery in the world producing Shiraz (Syrah) icewine. Ice wines from white varieties tend to be pale yellow or light gold in color when they are young and can maderise (acquiring deep amber-golden color) as they age. The red varieties tend to have a light burgundy or even pink color like that of rosé wines. Some vintners in Canada have taken a step forward in experimenting with sparkling ice wine. Sparkling icewines have texture similar to other sparkling wines, such as champagne or asti, but with fuller body, (significantly) higher sugar level balanced with high acidity. Characteristics Even though it is normal for the sugar content in icewine to run from 180 g/L up to as high as 320 g/L (with a mean in the 220 g/L range), icewine is very refreshing (as opposed to cloying) due to high acidity (titratable acidity in icewine almost always above 10 g/L). Icewine usually has a medium to full body, with a long lingering finish. The nose is usually reminiscent of peach, pear, dried apricot, honey, citrus, figs, caramel, green apple, etc.depending on the varietal grape. The aroma of tropical and exotic fruits such as pineapple, mango, lychee is quite common, especially on those white varietals. Icewine usually has a slightly lower alcohol content than regular table wine. Some Riesling icewines from Germany have an alcohol content as low as 6%. Icewines produced in Canada usually have higher alcohol content, between 8-13%. In most years, icewines from Canada generally have higher brix degree (must weight) compared to those from Germany. This is largely due to the more consistent winters in the former area. Must with insufficient Brix level cannot be made into Icewine, and is thus often sold as "special select late harvest" or "select late harvest" at a fraction of the price that true icewine commands. Connoisseurs argue about whether ice wine improves with age or is meant to be drunk young. Those who support aging claim that ice wine's very high sugar level (which is often much higher than that of Sauternes) and high acidity preserve the content for many years after bottling. Those who disagree contend that as ice wine ages it loses its distinctive acidity, fruitiness, aroma, and freshness. See also | ||||||||||
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