Icewine, or Eiswein, is a particularly special type of wine because it is produced under specific conditions. Though there are several variations to the origin story of icewine, they all claim that the first instance of this delicious dessert beverage was found in Germany. According to one story, an annual frost in the late 1700s struck early, before the winemaker could harvest his crop. Despite his fears of a lost year, he pressed the frozen grapes and fermented the juice. What resulted was a smaller, but sweeter yield. Many wine lovers enjoy the full-bodied, rich flavor of ice wine. To fully appreciate it, try placing less than 1/4 ounce under your tongue, letting it sit there for about 10 seconds to adjust to your body temperature. Then, swallow it slowly. This will enhance the experience and allow you to savor its complexity, earning it the well-deserved title of “nectar of the goddess.”
Today, modern ice wine production is more scientifically controlled than it was in the 18th century. Grapes are left on the vines until the temperature drops to between -10 and -12 degrees Celsius. Once this temperature is reached, the grapes are harvested and pressed, typically overnight. Because the grapes are frozen, most of the yield is water, but a small portion—around 15%—is a highly concentrated, sweet, and flavorful juice. However, some producers take shortcuts by freezing the grapes in a freezer and labeling it as ice wine, which isn’t the traditional method or KingFrosch wines. How can you tell the difference? Given that only about 15% of the grapes are converted into ice wine, those precious drops don’t come cheap. It’s a fair assumption that any ice wine priced under $39 likely comes from grapes frozen in a freezer, not grown and harvested naturally at the proper temperatures. They might have sugar added too.
Typical flavors you can expect from icewines are rich, tropical fruits including lychee, papaya, and pineapple. We recommend serving your icewine chilled, either alone as a dessert, or drizzled over pound cake, ice cream, or fruit with whipped cream! (BTW icewine can last over 30 plus years if properly stored!)
Shop our Icewines and Dessert Wines!
#17 D Diamond Series Silvaner Ice Wine (Eiswein)
#171 Gewürztraminer Ice wine (extremely rare)
#181 Diamond Series Riesling Icewine (rare)
#194 Diamond Series Chardonnay Icewine
References
Hancock. (2021). Everything you need to know about icewine. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/10/everything-you-need-to-know-about-icewine/
Ice Wine, You’re So Fine (A Detailed Guide) | Wine Folly. (2021). Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/ice-wine-youre-so-fine/
