Ice Wines - What Are They and How Are They Different from Other Sweet Wines?

Ice wines are becoming more and more popular as a sweet wine option. Many are made are from white wine grapes, but there are a few made from red wine grapes.

These wines are created by leaving the grapes on the vine until they are frozen and then removing them for wine production. Canada has the perfect climate for making this wine and has a number of wineries that produce it.

Canadian Ice Wines

Some of the best on the market today are the Canadian ice wines. It's usually a lighter bodied sweet wine with hints of different types of fruit including peaches, apricots and other citrus fruits.

A wine that is labeled as an ice wine means that it is naturally sweetened and does not contain any added sugars. In Canada, the grapes must stay on the vine until the temperature dips below 18° F.

This process freezes the water in the grapes which increases the concentration of sugar in the grapes. This is where these wines get their sweet taste.

Once the grapes are ready, they are typically harvested before sunrise in order to ensure they are still frozen. The wine making process begins quickly after they are picked to avoid any chance that the grapes may thaw out.

The harvest schedule for these wines is also very late in the season and they are usually harvested during the colder late fall/early winter months. I've even read that some are harvested toward the end of December or in early January.

Here are some of my recommendations:

Winery	Name of Wine/Varietal	Flavors
Inniskillin Winery	Cabernet Franc wine	Hints of strawberries and cream
Jackson Triggs Winery	Cabernet Franc	Raspberries, rhubarb and hints of pepper & spice
Nine North Winery	Jaden Pinot Noir wine	Strawberry, rhubarb and caramel
Renwood Winery	Zinfandel wine	Raspberries, cherries & strawberries

European Eiswein

Even though Canada seems to have the market right now, Austria and Germany are also now producing these wines. In Europe, they are typically called "Eiswein".

These two countries, along with Canada, agreed on following the same process to make this wine. All of them allow the grapes to freeze on the vine vs. freezing them off the vine in an indoor temperature controlled environment.

Many other countries and wine regions use this second method since it keep the grapes away from issues such as animals eating the grapes from the vines. Leaving the grapes to freeze on the vines also makes harvesting challenging as pickers pick them in freezing cold temperatures.

In the US, they are produced in some Washington wineries, Oregon wineries, and Michigan wineries.

Food Pairing Tips

It's easy to pair these wines with nice desserts. They are usually pretty light and will not clash with most desserts.

Try pairing your ice wine with a nice creme brulee. They also pair well with lighter desserts made with fruits such as as pies or tarts.

Overall, the ones made from a red varietal tend to be rare and are more expensive than those made from a white varietal. It is much harder to produce red wines due to the sensitivity of the red grapes. However, if you are able to get your hands on one, they will not disappoint.