The discovery of Icewine or Eiswein was purely accidental.  During an early freeze in Franconia, Germany in 1794, the winemakers made virtue of necessity by pressing juice from the frozen grapes.  They were amazed by the exquisitely rich flavor of the resulting wine.  However, it was not until the mid 1800's that Icewine was intentionally made.  Since then, this most magical elixir has been highly prized and treasured by connoisseurs who were lucky enough to have tasted it. 

 

Now in the twenty-first century, fewer than 60 vineyards around the world try to make Icewines on a regular basis.  Due to the inherent difficulties and substantial risk of making Icewine, the production is never big.  Canada, blessed by its geography, not only became the biggest producer of Icewine, but Canadian Icewines also regularly take gold medals at prestigious international wine competitions.  The first Icewine production in Canada took place in BC, when Walter Hainle began making Icewine on a small scale in the Okanagan Valley in 1973.

 

 

What Makes Icewine So Special?

 

Over the course of a typical winter there are numerous freeze-thaw cycles in which temperatures drop to the required level but are not sustained for a period long enough to freeze the entire grape solid.  These freeze-thaw cycles add variation and complexity to the wines in a way that simply cannot be replicated by artificial means such as placing grapes in a freezer.  The Icewine harvest, carried out entirely by hand, begins when the temperature drops below -10°C and the grapes have naturally frozen solid on the vines.  Grapes in this condition have a very low yield – about 1/10^th of regular wine production, and often an entire vine only makes a bottle of 375 ml.  Icewine is very difficult to create because Icewine grapes are difficult to grow and harvest, and the grapes, being the last fruit standing as winter approaches, must be defended vigorously against hungry birds and other animals.

 

© 2005 Bellevue Wine Company