Wine festivals to check out

Issue Date: November 27, 2005

Liquid Ice

What do you get when wine is made from grapes that have frozen on the vine? Bliss in a bottle.

By Angela Black

Freezing winter weather generally is not the time to harvest wine grapes, but for Ohio-based Valley Vineyards owner Ken Schuchter and his team of 12, it's a labor of love that has sweet rewards. He's one of the more than 30 vintners across the Midwest and Northeast who make ice wine -- a distinctive beverage that has its genesis in temperatures below freezing. "People describe it as ambrosia -- food of the gods," says Schuchter, who has made award-winning ice wines since 1993.

Ice wine is made from late-season grapes that are allowed to freeze on the vine, then picked before they thaw and pressed while frozen. The grapes are about 80% water, while the remaining 20% is the concentrated juice that is used to make the wine. The ice is essential; the shards "puncture the inside of the skin to release more flavor," says Deborah Pratt, public relations manager at Canada's Inniskillin, the largest ice wine producer in North America. The production process creates a unique wine that tantalizes the palate with fruity sensations such as apricot, peach and mango.

A bit of history
Author John Schreiner explains in his book "Ice Wine: The Complete Story" that Eiswein, as it's known in Germany, its country of origin, was discovered by accident in the Franconia wine region, near the city of Wurzburg, in 1794. (The Wurzburg estate in Franconia still makes ice wine.) An unexpected frost froze the grapes before they could be harvested. The region's vintners attempted to salvage the crops by picking and pressing the frozen grapes. When they sampled the first pressing, the result was surprisingly exquisite.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that ice wine was first produced in North America by winemakers Inniskillin and Hillebrand; both won several prestigious awards, garnering international attention. A decade later, Canadian wineries along Ontario's Niagara Peninsula had developed noteworthy, award-winning ice wines. Soon, U.S. wineries with similar climates -- in Ohio, Michigan and New York -- began to produce grape crops for ice wine. Sales of this type of wine remain strong, and demand has steadily increased despite economic fluctuation.

Ice wine variety
Ice wines vary in flavor and intensity based on the type of grape from which they're made. Bruce Yung, sommelier at the high-end New York restaurant David Burke & Donatella, loves Riesling because of "its essence, intensity and purity of flavor." Riesling was the original ice wine grape, but winemaker Schuchter says "most ice wine today is made with the Vidal Blanc grape." He says its thick skin and hardiness allow the grape to remain on the vine longer and to resist rot and animal predators.

Although most popular ice wines are white and have the flavor essence of stone fruits (such as peaches) or tropical fruits (like mangoes), the red Cabernet Franc has what Inniskillin's Pratt describes as a "strawberry characteristic."

The best ice wines strike a balance of sweetness, acidity and flavor -- all elements that blend to create an impeccable character. The acidity is important for balance, because if it's too sweet, it won't ferment properly, and the "flavor won't have a clean finish -- it's cloying," Pratt says.

Choosing ice wine
As with any other wine, buy what you like, although being knowledgeable about the product helps to ensure you are getting real ice wine. Ice wine made from artificially frozen grapes -- those not frozen on the vine -- are not legally considered ice wine, and the bottle must be labeled "iced wine." Authentic ice wine must be produced using natural methods and cannot contain any additives.

Be prepared to spend. Because seasonal grape yields usually produce a small amount of liquid -- about 10% per harvest -- ice wine can be pricey. Ice wine usually is sold in half bottles. Finding a bottle priced less than $30 is rare; a bottle in the $100 range is not unusual. That's why it's important to buy a quality ice wine that truly pleases the individual palate. Knowledgeable buyers read labels carefully and understand how harvest conditions and sweetness affect flavor.

How can you be label-savvy? Ideally, ice wine grape harvests should occur when the temperature has dipped below freezing, and the grapes should be crushed immediately. The label cannot read "ice wine" unless this is the case.

Also, brix typically is noted on each bottle, so you should be able to choose a vintage that will appeal to your taste buds. Brix is the measure of ice wine sweetness in degrees of concentration. It usually ranges from 29% (less sweet) to 56% (an intense, honey-like sweetness).

Serve and enjoy
Because ice wine flavor can be intense, Schuchter recommends enjoying it in 4-ounce servings, "chilled -- not cold," he says. A mild fruit- or cheese-based dessert is the best companion. Sommelier Yung suggests something light that won't "overwhelm the flavor of the wine."

"It's also great as an aperitif with foie gras," Pratt adds, "but I think it's better as dessert, as opposed to with dessert."

Ice wines are available at most wine retailers, including websites such as primewine.com and wine.com, and by the bottle at many fine restaurants around the country.

Go to top

Check out these ice wine festivals

Niagara Icewine Festival
Jan. 13-22, 2006
grapeandwine.com

Okanagan Icewine Festival
Jan. 19-22, 2006
owfs.com

Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival
March 4 and 11, 2006
440-466-3485

ohiowines.org

Annual Valley Vineyards Wine Festival
Sept. 28-30, 2006
valley-vineyards.com