Eiswein Germany’s Ice Wine Eiswein is a rich, savory dessert wine that is made

Eiswein Germany’s Ice Wine

Eiswein is a rich, savory dessert wine that is made by picking grapes that are frozen on the vine, then pressing them before they thaw. Because much of the water in the grapes is frozen, the end result of the juice is converged rich in flavor and high in sugar and acid. Ice wines are renowned in Germany, where they’re called Eiswein. In 1982, Eiswein became one of the six subcategories of qualitätswein mit prädikat. In order to meet the requirements, a wine’s must needs to reach the minimum natural sugar levels of Beerenauslese category wines-110 to 128° oechsle, depending on the region and the selection. Austria has an Eiswein category that’s comparable and requires a minimum 127° oechsle. Eiswein is a specialty of Canada, whose cold weather makes exceptional examples of this specialty. In fact, Canadians now produce more Eiswein than Germany, and has vqa policies that define the sugar content required for this designation to be used on labels. Other cold weather areas, such as the more northern of the United States, are now also producing Eiswein .

Ice wine ordinarily has a somewhat lower alcohol content than regular table wine. Some Riesling ice wines from Germany have an alcohol content as low as 6%. Ice wines made in Canada generally have higher alcohol content, between eight and 13 percent. In most years, ice wines from Canada generally have higher brix degree compared to those from Germany. This is mainly due to the more reliable winters in Canada. Must with inadequate brix level cannot be made into ice wine, and is thus often sold as “special select late harvest” or “select late harvest” at a fraction of the price that true ice wine commands.

Even though it is normal for remaining sugar content in ice wine to run from 180 g/L up to as high as 320 g/L, along with a mean in the 220 g/L range, ice wine is very invigorating due to high acidity. Ice wine typically has a medium to full body, with a long lingering finish. The nose is usually suggestive of peach, pear, dried apricot, honey, citrus, figs, caramel, green apple, etc., depending on the varietal. The aroma of tropical and exotic fruits such as pineapple, mango, or lychee is quite common, especially on white varietals.

Typical grapes used for ice wine production are Riesling, considered to be the noblest variety by German winemakers; Vidal, highly popular in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada; and, interestingly, the red grape Cabernet Franc. Many vintners, especially from the New World, are experimenting with making ice wine from other varieties: whites such as Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and Ehrenfelser; or reds such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, and even Cabernet Sauvignon. Pillitteri Estates Winery from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region of Ontario recently claimed to be the first winery in the world producing Shiraz ice wine.

Lindsay Alston is an expert author for ClassicWines.com specializing in Eiswein .