ask the wine geek

Ask the Wine Geek January 2007

Q. What is ice wine?

A. Ice wine, or Eiswein, is a syrupy-sweet wine that’s delicious with dessert, or even as dessert all by itself. Long after most table wine grapes have been harvested, ice wine grapes remain on the vine well into winter. The grapes are picked and pressed while frozen, which allows water, in the form of ice crystals, to be separated out from intensely sweet juice. When fermented, this ultra-sweet nectar morphs into beguilingly thick and concentrated wine, with an aroma that often evokes stone fruits and lychees. Eiswein originated in Germany, and today’s German and Austrian Eisweine retain a lofty reputation. Canada is the world’s leading producer by volume and is known for cranking out exquisite ice wines, as well. The special process yields a tiny quantity of precious wine, and it is priced accordingly. It’s typically sold in half-size bottles, so expect to pay at least twice the cash for half the splash, compared to good quality table wine.