What is Ice wine? — Canada’s liquid treasure

In late September, grapes intended for Icewine are netted to prevent hungry birds from eating them on their migratory journey south. Through the fall and early winter, the repeated freezing and thawing of the grapes on the vines concentrates their sugars and acids, which intensifies the flavors. The optimum temperature for the Icewine harvest is -8°C to -12°C, which usually occurs in mid-winter. Due to the late harvest and extended «hang» time of the grapes, and the fact that the juice is already concentrated from the natural freezing, the vines and the grapes produce a low yield. Often an entire vine will only produce a single bottle of Icewine! Icewine grapes must be hand picked, as the frozen vines are delicate at this stage, and some of the grapes have already been captured in the netting. To ensure that the grapes remain frozen, the Icewine harvest takes place at night when the temperature is the coldest. At the perfect Icewine harvest temperature, all but the sweetest drop of juice is frozen. This drop has been naturally concentrated by the cold and must be pressed quickly. The grapes are squeezed slowly separating the rare, sweet drops from the grapes frozen water content. These drops, or grape syrup, are then fermented and aged in our cellar over several months until the golden nectar is ready for bottling. The most popular grape variety for Icewine is Vidal, due to its hardy skin, beautiful floral nose, and apricot and honeyed palate. Joseph produced the first Vidal Icewine in Canada back in 1983. Serve Icewine well chilled alone or paired with dessert, chocolate or fruit.