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A rarer dessert wine compared to sweet Rieslings or Port, you may not have heard about the intensely sweet and concentrated ice wine.
This wine is originally the result of a happy mistake, but it’s turned into a true delicacy with world-wide acclaim. Ice wine is one of the most challenging wines to make, not only because of the specific weather conditions needed, but because of its unique winemaking process.
Discover more about ice wine and why, as a wine lover, you need to try it.
What is ice wine?
Ice wine is a dessert wine renowned for its intense sweetness and complexity. It’s produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. When the water in the grape freezes, the sugars and other dissolved solids are concentrated. When pressed, this makes for a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.
Ice wine is believed to have originated in the early 1800s in Germany, where it is known as ‘Eiswein’. As the story goes, a late, surprise frost caught winemakers off-guard. Rather than throw away their entire harvest, the winemakers decided to press the frozen grapes. The result was delicious – an intense, sweet wine.
Making ice wine is difficult and requires specific weather conditions, which is why it’s primarily produced in Canada and Germany. Despite the high sugar level, ice wines are usually medium to full-bodied with a refreshing acidity, offering a fine balance that showcases a variety of vibrant fruit flavours.
What grapes are used to make ice wine?
While any grape variety can freeze, not every frozen grape variety can create ice wine. Both red and white grape varieties can be used to create ice wine. Each produces a slightly different style of ice wine, but all are equally delicious. The most common varieties are:
Riesling: This white German grape retains its acidity even in cold conditions, which allows the resulting ice wine to have a balanced sweetness. It has flavours and aromas of orchard fruits, citrus, honey, ginger and beeswax.
Vidal Blanc: The result of a cross between Ugni Blanc and Royan d’Or grape varieties, this white grape thrives in cold climates. It is commonly used for ice wine in Canada, particularly in the Niagara region. It’s known for its hardiness in cold temperatures and high sugar levels, which results in sweet wines with tropical fruit flavours of lychee and mango.
Cabernet Franc: An international red variety, frozen Cabernet Franc grapes produce beautiful rosé ice wines with the perfect balance of sweetness and vibrant red fruit flavours. This style is mostly made in Ontario, Canada.
Gewürztraminer: Not as commonly used as the other grapes, the naturally high sugar content and the aromatic qualities of Gewürztraminer make it an excellent choice for this sweet, concentrated wine. Fruity and fresh Gewürztraminer ice wine showcases the grape’s characteristic lychee and rose aromas, along with a rich texture and a balancing acidity.
Where is ice wine made?
Ice wine production isn’t as widespread as other styles of wine, confined to only a handful of countries and wine regions. Ice wine is made from grape varieties that thrive in colder climates across the New and Old World.
Germany: This sweet dessert wine has its origins in Germany, and is made specifically in the Mosel, Rheingau and Pfalz wine regions. Here, ice wine is known as Eiswein, and the country is considered one of the most premium producers of Riesling ice wine.
Canada: The largest and most renowned producer of ice wine is Canada, particularly in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and British Columbia. With its consistently colder temperatures, grape varieties used for ice wine here include Vidal Blanc and Riesling.
Austria: Germany’s neighbouring Austria also produces Eiswein. The Burgenland and Neusiedlersee regions are considered home to some of the best, using native grape varieties such as white Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling and red Zweigelt.
United States: While not as prominent as in Canada or Germany, ice wine is made in cold climates regions such as the Finger Lakes in New York and Michigan.
China: An upcoming, premium ice winemaker is China. The cold temperatures in the northeastern region of Liaoning are perfect for creating high-quality wines that are carving the country’s place in the international market.
How is ice wine made?
Making ice wine is a bit of a gamble for winemakers, with the success of a harvest relying on the frost arriving at just the right time. If the frost comes too early, the grapes won’t be fully ripe, but if it comes too late, the grapes could rot and become unusable.
The grapes are left to freeze on the vine until the temperature drops to between -7°C and -8°C. The freeze causes the sugars and acids in the grapes to concentrate as the water turns to ice. The grapes must then be quickly harvested – often in the middle of the night or in the early hours of the morning – to ensure they stay frozen.
The frozen grapes are then immediately gently pressed while still frozen. The water in the grapes is frozen, but the sugars and other dissolved solids are not, which results in a small quantity of concentrated, very sweet juice. Pressing these frozen grapes can be a tricky business, as it’s not unusual for this to be done outside in freezing temperatures and for heritage grape presses to break under the strain.
The juice is then slowly fermented over a number of months in steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Ice wine’s signature intense sweetness is a result of stopping the fermentation process early, leaving plenty of residual sugar in the wine. After fermentation, the wine is aged in stainless steel or oak barrels for a few months up to a year before bottling. They are then filtered before being bottled.
Because of the lengthy process and the effort required to produce inherently small batches, ice wine is one of the rarer, more expensive dessert wines you can buy.
What does ice wine taste like?
Ice wine is a naturally sweet wine, but because of its racy acidity, it is more lively and refreshing than sickly sweet. Its overall flavours will vary depending on which grape variety is used.
Riesling ice wines are typically rich and concentrated, with flavours ranging from ripe pear and peach to juicy tropical fruits. It has a characteristic honey note, along with vibrant citrus and mineral hints that lift the wine’s sweetness.
Vidal Blanc ice wines are similar, but more lush, with concentrated tropical fruit flavours of lychee and mango plus signature hints of rose and citrus.
Rarer red ice wines made from Cabernet Franc grapes have bold, bright flavours of ripe red berries with a hint of sweet spice.
Despite its sweetness, a well-made ice wine boasts an acidity level that counteracts the sugar, offering a refreshing twist. Texture-wise, it’s typically rich and almost syrupy due to its sugar content and concentration.
How to serve ice wine
Ice wine should be served well chilled – between 7-10°C – and in small dessert wine glasses. The cooler temperature highlights ice wine’s refreshing, balanced style, while the smaller pouring allows you to thoroughly enjoy each sweet, rich sip without overdoing it.
As a dessert wine, there should be no surprise that ice wine is best served with dessert. It suits fruit-based desserts such as caramelised apple tarts and lemon cheesecake, as well as dairy-heavy desserts – think crème brûlée and panna cotta. Ice wine is also a great friend to cheeseboards, especially those featuring a number of styles, from blue cheeses to soft, rich Brie and Camembert.
About the author
Brogan Wilson
Qualified to WSET Level 2 Wine, Brogan is a relatively new member of the team, having joined in September 2023. She previously worked as the sole copywriter at a creative marketing agency, and before that, as a primary school teacher. At Laithwaites HQ, you’ll find her growing her knowledge, asking lots of questions, and crafting both digital and print copy. An ardent red wine drinker, Brogan is also fond of Crémant.
