This means that these grapes are grown in very cold climates like Germany, Austria, Canada and sometimes China.

In order to be considered true Ice Wine, the grapes must be naturally frozen outside and cannot be commercially frozen and then crushed. Only about 10-20% of the liquid in the frozen grapes is used to great ice wine, and the liquid is extremely sweet, sometimes even sweeter than a can of your favorite soda. They are put through a grape crusher where they are pressed until the liquid is extracted. Once the grapes are harvested they are immediately brought to the winery for processing. So while most grapes are harvested in the late summer into fall, ice wine grapes are harvested in the middle of winter when they are completely frozen. This super sweet wine is supposed to be served chilled, but that’s not why it’s called Ice Wine, the real reason is that the grapes used to produce this wine need to be harvested when they are frozen to the vine. Ice plays a major role in the reason that Ice Wine is called ice wine, but the reason may surprise you. When you think of the name “Ice Wine” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’m hoping you said “ice”, because you would be right. Wines that don’t follow these guidelines cannot be labeled as Ice Wine, but can be called by other names. A wine can only be called Ice Wine if it adheres to very specific techniques throughout the production process. Ice wine is unique in the way it’s harvest and the way its prepared when compared to the other, more common, wines available today. With this article though, we want to dive into a type of wine that most people don’t know about, and that is Ice Wine. Once you figure out what types of wine you like you can narrow it down even further to brands or styles. Buy Icewine online with My Wine Canada today.Merlot, Cabernet, Riesling… red, white, sparkling… when it comes to wine there seems to be an endless amount of varieties and types to choose from, so how is a person to know what is right for them? Unfortunately the easiest way to figure that out is to go to a tasting, or try all of the varieties to determine which ones you like. Our offerings are of the highest quality available from some of the finest Icewineries in Canada. Buy Icewine in CanadaĪs with many Icewines in Canada, you can find an excellent selection of Icewine online with My Wine Canada. Let icewine be your dessert – enjoy it on its own or pair with fresh fruit or other sweet treats such as chocolate.

It is also typically sold in smaller bottles than traditional wines. Only grapes that are susceptible to harsh growing conditions can be used in the production, creating low yields. Icewine tends to be more expensive because of the immense effort that goes into the winemaking process. These standards are monitored by the VQA (Vinters Quality Alliance), and relate to grape varieties, harvest procedures and winemaking. To be labeled as Icewine, there are certain requirements that must be met.

Expect a wine with highly concentrated, sweet flavours with high acidity. You can also find Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewürztraminer used in some small lots. The most popular grape varietals used to make Icewine are Riesling, Vidal Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. The result is a juice that is high in sugar and acid, and concentrated with rich, delicious flavours. From there, they must be pressed before they thaw. To produce Icewine, grapes are left on the vine until a sustained temperature of -8☌ or below is reached, at which time they are hand picked. Production can be vigorous and can only happen in areas with below-freezing weather conditions. Some of the world’s best Icewine is known to come from Canada, specifically Ontario.

Ice wine brands