What is Ice Wine?

Ice wine is made from frozen grapes. The grapes remain on the vines until it is -7 or -8. At this temperature, the water in the grape has crystallized and the pure grape juice is still liquid. The harvest takes place in the middle of the night. After all, a single ray of sunlight can thaw a grape.

When pressing, the pure juice is separated from the water. Small children sometimes suck all the sweetness out of a popsicle. That juice is very tasty, but they are then left with only crystallized ice water. In the case of ice wine, the water is more or less separated from the pure grape juice. Ice wine is rich in aromas and taste due to the concentration.

Ice wine is also sometimes called 'Night Gold' because of its special golden yellow color.



Origin of ice wine
The first ice wine was made at the end of the seventeenth century in Germany near the city of Wurzburg. The winegrowers there had let the grapes hang a little longer after a cold summer in the hope that the grapes would ripen a little. An unexpectedly early start of winter caused the grapes to freeze on the vines. The winegrowers tried to save what could be saved and pressed the frozen grapes. To everyone's surprise, this resulted in a very pleasant and intensely sweet wine.

The Pick
The grapes for the ice wine are picked in the middle of a cold winter night. It must be -7 or -8 degrees. It is difficult to predict in advance when the harvest can take place. When winter comes early, sometimes the harvest can already take place in November. Often it is not until December, or even January. When the time comes, the winery gathers all the family and friends together to harvest the grapes in the middle of the night.



Why is ice wine so exclusive?
Making a small amount of ice wine requires a great many grapes. Grapes that are normally used to make 10 litres of wine are now used to make 375ml of ice wine. Only 1 drop of juice remains per grape. In addition, a lot of manual work is involved. This applies to both protecting the grapes and picking them. Unfortunately, we also have to deal with climate change. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to actually make ice wine in more and more areas. Ice wine will therefore become even more exclusive than it is today.

What is the difference between eiswein, ice wine and icewine?
These three terms are often used interchangeably. Ijswijn is the Dutch collective name for both Eiswein and Icewine. Eiswein and Icewine differ from each other in a few ways. Eiswein is mainly made in Germany and Austria. The grapes are picked on the first night when it is at least -7 degrees. Canada makes the most icewine. These grapes are not picked at -7, but at -8 degrees. In addition, in Canada the grapes are left frozen on the vines for longer.



How long can you keep ice wine?
Ice wine can be stored for many years. A good bottle of ice wine can easily age for 15 to 25 years. Ice wine has a good acidity, which means that the wine gains complexity over time. Ice wine made from Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes should be drunk young. Ice wine made from the Riesling grape can be stored the longest. This is due to the ability of the grape to maintain its acidity for a long time. Young ice wine has clear and fresh fruit aromas. As the wine ages, a wider range of aromas is released. Ice wine also gets a slightly darker deep yellow honey colour. If a bottle is stored under good conditions, the value of the bottle can sometimes increase considerably.

How cold should you drink ice wine?
For the best taste experience, ice wine is drunk at around 8 to 10°C. Place the bottle in a wine cooler with ice for fifteen minutes before pouring, or in the refrigerator for about an hour and a half before drinking.
Special glasses have been made by Riedel for ice wine. These glasses are, although we think, very expensive. A wine glass for white wine is also excellent. This glass also ensures that the aromas of this beautiful wine come into their own.

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