Ice wine isn’t a method of cooling vino in your freezer down until it’s almost the same consistency of a slush puppy. It was, however, nature’s way of saying “here’s another way to make wine.” Right off the bat, it might seem like ice wine is a simple thing to produce, but it actually takes plenty of effort and knowledge to get it right.
What's The Ice Wine Story?
Let’s go back to a freezing cold morning on a slippery hill in the middle of a frosty winter in Franken, Germany. It’s 1794 and you’re forced to make do with the harvest you have to make wine with. Your hustle and determination result in a varietal that has great sugar content and pops with fantastic flavor.
Soon thereafter, this technique was popularized across the country. By the mid-1800s, this phenomenon became a German staple otherwise known as eiswein.
How's Ice Wine Made?
To make this vino, you must process frozen grapes at 20 degrees, but placing them in a freezer simply won’t cut it. The grapes must be picked frozen off the vine and then go into immediate processing.
Heritage presses work hard at crushing tons of icy grapes to squeeze the icy goodness from them. In the end, only about ten to twenty percent of the liquid is used to make vino.
Right from the start, this varietal’s juice is so sweet that it takes anywhere between three to six months for it to be made. We’re talking a sweetness level of ~32–46 brix. This makes the fermentation process incredibly complicated and time-consuming.
Eventually, it’s bottled at 10% alcohol by volume and approximately 160 to 220g/L of residual sugar. That is almost double the sweetness of Pepsi.
This vino takes not only time to make, but it also requires up to five times as many grapes to make it work. Its grapes are hand-picked, which makes it a very hands-on process. This characteristic means that you’ll be paying for something that’s essentially bespoke in nature.
There are good deals on ice wine out there (around $30 for 375ml) but the market is still relatively small. Mostly, you can expect to shell out up to $50 for a Canadian ice wine. If you do come across a bottle that falls below the $30 benchmark, you’re most likely buying a product made with commercially frozen grapes which aren’t really the same thing. For the best deals on this varietal and to buy it in quantity, check out the WSJ wine club.
The Grapes Used To Make Ice Wine
The grapes used for this vino need to be resilient enough to withstand colder climates and as a rule, these grapes are used to make this fascinating dessert varietal:
- Chenin blanc
- Merlot
- Grüner veltliner,
- Riesling
- Cabernet franc
- Gewürztraminer
- Vidal blanc
This varietal in its purest form must be grown in bitterly cold climates to ensure that the grapes are frozen upon harvest. Rules and regulations for making this vino are in place.
Therefore, if ice wine produced in Canada, Germany, Australia, and the U.S. are commercially frozen, a stamp of approval to legitimize its ‘iciness’ can’t be given. This will help you as a consumer to determine the authenticity of your ice wine before purchase. Always read the product information on the bottle.
Pairing Food With Ice Wine
As we’ve mentioned, this vino is a dessert wine and packs a marvelous amount of sweetness combined with juicy fruit flavors. The last thing you want to pair your with varietal is something equally sweet, so it's best to opt for something that’s more subtle and fatty in content to even out the taste profile.
Soft cheeses work well as a savory accompaniment to your ice wine after dinner. If you insist on dessert then go for vanilla pound cake, fruit panna cotta, cheesecake, or a light white chocolate mousse.
Can Ice Wine Be Aged?
Generally-speaking, this varietal can only be aged for up to ten years, but Germany’s riesling and grüner veltliner varieties have proven to withstand the test of time.
Essentially, you may want to hold off on the aging process if you’re more inclined to a slight touch of acidity. Aging your ice wine for long will result in a deep bronze-colored varietal that’s rich and syrupy in texture. Flavors of molasses, maple, and hazelnut will define its taste profile.
Conclusion
Nature has a sneaky way of proving who’s in charge, but in this case, the winemakers of the Rheingau region emerged as champions in their own right. This all happened when the very thing that might’ve destroyed their harvest proved to be a vital ingredient in the making of this truly unique dessert wine.