The cellar index

WineCollection 55

Ice Wine & Eiswein

Naturally frozen grapes yield concentrated sweet wine with a bright acid backbone.

Origin & traditionCanada, Germany, Austria & beyond

Character & context

Understanding Ice Wine & Eiswein

Ice wine is made by pressing grapes while they are naturally frozen, concentrating the juice that can be extracted. Canada's Vidal and Riesling and German or Austrian Riesling offer useful reference points. The grape, region and producer shape the flavour. Freezing harvested juice is a different process, so look for a clearly identified designation.

Further reading: Wine Country Ontario — Icewine

Read related observations