Icewine

from winesofcanada.com

The Icewine harvest, done entirely by hand, commences once the temperature drops below -10°C and the grapes have naturally frozen on the vines. As the frozen grapes are pressed, the natural water portion of the juice remains within the grape skins in the form of ice crystals, and a tiny but precious ration of highly concentrated juice is expressed.

History

The discovery of Ice wine was accidental. Producers in Franconia, Germany made virtue of necessity by pressing juice from frozen grapes in 1794. They were amazed by the high sugar concentration. It was not until the mid 1800's that Ice wine was intentionally made by the winery. This occured in the Rheingau.

Walter Hainle made the first (very small scale) Icewine in Canada in 1973. The first commercially available Canadian Icewine was made by Hainle Vineyards in 1978. Canada today is the largest producer of this rare, rich and sweet ambrosia, with the lion's share coming from Ontario's Niagara Peninsula. Volume of Icewine produced in Ontario has risen phenomenally commensurate with demand. Sales in Vintages alone rose from 25,000 bottles in 1992-93 to an estimated 120,000 bottles in 1996-97. Sales continue to grow at a rate of over 50% per annum. The burgeoning demand is also evident in the export market - particularly in the Far East where Ontario Icewines have fetched over three times the domestic price in Japan.

VQA Regulations

Both the Provinces of Ontario and British Columbia have standards and requirements set down by the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA).

In Ontario they include the following: The finished wine must have a Brix of 35 degrees or higher. There must be residual sugar of 125g/litre. A minimum Brix of 32 degrees in the juice after pressing when measured in the fermentation tank. The alcohol must derive exclusively from the natural sugars of the grapes. All wine that is labeled as Icewine must be produced by VQA registered growers and wine makers. The harvest of icewine grapes must start after November 15. Before harvesting, the producer must verify in writing, (by specified form) the following:

All VQA Icewine processors are required to attend a VQA Icewine Standards Seminar each year. VQA authorities randomly sample and analyze must, juice and wine to ensure the standards are being met.

BC has similiar requirements. It is by no accident that Canada's Icewines are among the best in the world.

Grapes

Vidal and Riesling are the two varietals most often chosen for Icewine. Vidal is capable of producing high quality late harvest wines and its berries do not readily fall from their stalks as they get overripe. Riesling is the classic variety used in Germany. Late ripening, it also has a high level of acidity to balance all that sugar. Of the two varieties it produces the longer lived wines, all factors being equal. It is interesting to start to see a dichotomy in pricing emerging, with Vidal Icewines generally more affordable.

The Difficulties

Icewine grapes are difficult to grow and harvest. The risks of growing icewine grapes are very substantial. Bad weather, weather that is too warm, weather that changes too slowly and weather that doesn't change fast enough are all problematic for icewine grapes and the grape vines they grow from. Leaving grapes hanging on the vines well after they would normally be harvested doesn't allow the vines to store extra sugars to help sustain them through the harsh winters. This leaves the vines much more vulnerable to winter damage.

Warm winter weather in the Okanagan threatened to wipe out the 1999 Icewine vintage. As winemakers and their teams stood on alert the warm weather continued on into the new millennium. It was not until the night of January 18th and early morning of the 19th did the temperature dip to the required -11 degrees. Geringer Bros... near Oliver, were able to pick the frozen grapes and have them pressed by morning. Hainle Vineyard to the north, one of the more noted names producing Icewines, was unable to pick the grapes as the temperature failed to reach the required low.

Watch for Mt. Boucherie's Pinot Noir Icewine, scheduled for release this summer!