What Are Ice Wines?
Canada has the perfect climate for making this wine and has a number of wineries that produce it. 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. Even though Canada seems to have the market right now, Austria and Luxembourg are also now producing these wines. In the US, they are produced in some areas in Washington, Oregon, and Michigan. Here are some of my recommendations:
Overall, the ones made from red varietals tend to be rare and are more expensive than those made from white varietals. 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. Return to Sweet Red Wine page from the Ice Wines page
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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. 