Eiswein, more commonly known as Ice Wine, is made from grapes that are frozen while still clinging to the vine. While the production of ice wine goes back to the 1830's in Germany, there is some speculation that ice wine has been harvested since 1794. These early harvests were accidental because the weather was unpredictable and frequently grape harvests that froze were used as much needed animal feed. It wasn't until the common use of a pneumatic bladder press that facilitated the production of ice wine that it began to gain in popularity.
How to Make Ice Wine
The cooperation of Mother Nature is integral to the production of ice wine, and in 1984 Austrian co-owner of Inniskillin Wineries Karl Kaiser, successfully harvested the first real ice wine. It took him many years and much trial and error to discover the secrets to making the finest ice wine. Grapes must be left on the vine to freeze to -8 Celsius, but this can take several months before the temperatures drop sufficiently. The challenge lay in hoping for a deep enough freeze before either the gapes rotted or became fodder for the birds. His solution was to cover the vines with netting, thus keeping the birds away.
The grapes must freeze to a point where the water inside the grape freezes, but not the sugars, thus when the grape is pressed, a sweeter wine is produced. Due to the fact that the grapes must be pressed while still partially frozen means that the grapes must be harvested quickly before they thaw or freeze solid. Harvests of these grapes often takes place in the dead of the night before the grapes are too frozen for pressing.
This higher concentration of sugars that results from partially freezing the grapes means that the fermentation process can take months rather than the traditional weeks for many other wines.
Popularity
In 1991 Vidal ice Wine, produced by Inniskillin, won the Grand Prize at Vinexpo and gained global recognition by bursting onto the wine scene with a new and revolutionary wine and wine making process. By the year 2000, not only had other wineries begun producing ice wines but Canada had established itself as a leader in ice wine production and was known to be producing more ice wines than any other country.
Fine dining establishments and connoisseurs all rushed to acquire bottles from the limited supply, and it has only been fairly recently that restaurants are able to list ice wines on their wine lists with any guarantee of keeping it in stock. Even so, a bad year with an insufficient freeze or too deep a freeze can ruin that year's harvest and limit supplies.
Cost
Very few countries have the appropriate weather conditions for producing ice wine, and production is thus far limited to Canada and Germany, as well as Austria, Australia, Hungary, Israel and the USA. Other countries are trying to master the elements and the process but the limited production of this wine is one factor in its steep price.
Longer fermentation times and a difficult harvesting processes have also driven up the cost of ice wines. These wines are usually only sold in 375 or even 200 mL bottles, and are rarely found in full size bottles. Average bottle prices run from $20.00 USD to upwards of $50.00 USD.
The Joy
Meant to be sipped, ice wine is classified as a sweet dessert wine, and should be enjoyed at the end of a great meal. The argument still rages over the age of a bottle; should a bottle of ice wine be enjoyed young or does it improve with age? No matter how you drink it, each sip of ice wine is truly a delight.
