Icewine, or Eiswein, originated in Austria and Germany in the late 1700's or possibly earlier. Over the years, the process of harvesting frozen grapes was refined, and now icewines are highly prized for their sweet, sophisticated flavors. The best icewines are produced in Germany, Austria, and Canada.
The grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months. As the grapes continue to freeze and thaw, they become more dehydrated. This concentrates the sugars, acids, and flavors in the grapes. Finally, the grapes must be harvested at a precise moment when everything is just right, most notably, the air temperature must be -10°C to -13°C before harvesting. The grapes are hand picked, a cold and tedious job, given the temperatures and the fact that they are under special netting that protects them from the birds.
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Grapes destined for icewine have a very low yield. A long row of vines may
produce only a single bottle of icewine. This is the reason that you must
pay a premium price. Icewine is usually sold in half-bottles only. But
it's worth it! After this long harvest process, the grapes go through
weeks of fermentation, followed by a few months of barrel aging.
Traditional Riesling or Vidal icewine is golden or deep amber in color. It
is thick and very sweet. The flavors often range from apricot, peach,
melon, mango to other sweet fruits. You will be amazed at the concentrated
flavors and complexity found in this nectar of the gods!
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Celebrity icewine harvest
at Inniskillin, Niagara - Ontario
(click image to enlarge) |
Icewine goes well with
"blue" cheeses, pates and crackers. It's of course also popular
as a dessert wine, well chilled. You can serve it in small cordial
glasses, or even better use the Riedel glass especially made for icewine.
Icewine has traditionally been made of Riesling grapes. Canada has been
producing wonderful icewine also from the Vidal varietal. As Canada forges
ahead as the world leader in icewine, more varietals are being made into
this precious type of wine such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, and many others,
both red and white.
My favorite icewines are virtually all from the Niagara region of Canada
and from Austria.
Cheers! - Paul
Singer -
To
WineAndLeisure.com
(more about
wine here)
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Inside the Braeburn Barn,
ready to harvest Icewine grapes!
Do you recognize anyone
in this picture?
Submissions
here!
(click image to
enlarge) |
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