Termed as Eiswein in Germany, Ice Wine in North America and Liquid Gold due to its rich amber color in China, ice wine is a rare and expensive wine naturally frozen on the vine before harvesting. It is known the world over for its exceedingly sweet concentrated flavor and yet a wine that has the perfect balance between acidity, alcohol, and sweetness. There are a few versions to the origin of this wine, but as the best known story goes, it was first made in the year 1794 when a Baron on his return to Germany from war found his vineyard frozen. He decided to harvest the frozen grapes and stumbled upon what we today know as ice wine.
How and where is this wine produced?
The production of this wine largely depends on geographic and weather conditions and is highly labor intensive, as the grapes are hand-picked and pressed. The climate has to be warm enough during summers and fall months to plant the grapes and for the grapes to reach their ideal maturity, followed by swift cold winters where temperatures drop to minus 8 degrees Celsius and stay below zero degrees until the grapes are harvested. It is at this temperature that the water molecules in the grape freeze and what remains is sweet concentrated syrup. This syrup is then left to ferment for several weeks and for aging thereafter.
While this wine originated in Germany, today Canada, and more specifically Ontario, is the world's largest ice wine producer, due to its ideal climate and consistent weather conditions, unlike other European countries where winters are often not cold enough. Some of the other major producers of such wine are Austria, the Czech Republic, and the United States to a lesser extent.
Watch out for fake wines where grapes are harvested and frozen in a refrigerator. These cost as much as $15 to $25 a bottle in comparison with the genuine wine, which sells at $80 to $100 a bottle. Today, there are a number of online shops from where you can order your wine.
Serving and savoring wines
Ice wine is a delicious dessert wine, typically served at the end of a meal in small sherry glasses at an ideal temperature of 5 -7 degrees Celsius, to be sipped, rolled around the mouth, and savored like a fine liquor. The sweet, aromatic, exquisite flavor is not something one would easily forget.
How and where is this wine produced?
The production of this wine largely depends on geographic and weather conditions and is highly labor intensive, as the grapes are hand-picked and pressed. The climate has to be warm enough during summers and fall months to plant the grapes and for the grapes to reach their ideal maturity, followed by swift cold winters where temperatures drop to minus 8 degrees Celsius and stay below zero degrees until the grapes are harvested. It is at this temperature that the water molecules in the grape freeze and what remains is sweet concentrated syrup. This syrup is then left to ferment for several weeks and for aging thereafter.
While this wine originated in Germany, today Canada, and more specifically Ontario, is the world's largest ice wine producer, due to its ideal climate and consistent weather conditions, unlike other European countries where winters are often not cold enough. Some of the other major producers of such wine are Austria, the Czech Republic, and the United States to a lesser extent.
Watch out for fake wines where grapes are harvested and frozen in a refrigerator. These cost as much as $15 to $25 a bottle in comparison with the genuine wine, which sells at $80 to $100 a bottle. Today, there are a number of online shops from where you can order your wine.
Serving and savoring wines
Ice wine is a delicious dessert wine, typically served at the end of a meal in small sherry glasses at an ideal temperature of 5 -7 degrees Celsius, to be sipped, rolled around the mouth, and savored like a fine liquor. The sweet, aromatic, exquisite flavor is not something one would easily forget.