Ice Wine -- The Noblest Dessert Wine

Grapes frozen on the vine

Ice wine (or locally known as “Eiswein” in Germany) is a super sweet and rich dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen naturally on the vine. When these frozen grapes are pressed during the wine-making process, most of the moisture is left behind as ice. As a result, the sugar concentration becomes increasingly higher, allowing a smaller amount of more concentrated wine to be produced at the end of the process. Although it is well-rooted in Germany and Austria, ice wine is now most largely produced in Canada owing to its consistent winters.

The Legend of Ice Wine

According to legend, ice wine was believed to be first produced by a German winemaker when he accidentally left his grapes too long on the vine. For an unknown reason he was away from his vineyard and when he returned all his grapes had been frozen on the vine. When he decided to pick and process the grapes anyway, he found that the frozen grapes yielded very sweet and concentrated wine-- the first “eiswein”.

Grape Varieties Used in Ice Wine

Although the most common grapes used in the making of ice wine are Riesling, Vidal, and Cabernet Franc, many vintners are now experimenting with making ice wine from other grape varieties including Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Some wineries from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region of Ontario have even produced ice wines from Syrah, Semillon, and Sangiovese.

Characteristics of Ice Wine

Like many other dessert wines, Ice wines tend to have lower alcohol contents than regular table wines. The alcohol levels in ice wine are usually on the lower end of the spectrum, which range from 6 to 12%. Compared with German ice wines, however, Canadian ice wines tend to have higher alcohol and Brix levels. This is possibly due to the more consistent winters in Canada, particularly in the Niagara Peninsula. In fact, ice wine production in Canada is regulated by the Vintners Quality Alliance which states that a minimum of 35° Brix in grapes is required for ice wine.

Because ice wine has a very heavy concentration of sweetness and acidity, it is very refreshing. Ice wine generally has medium to full body and a long lingering finish. The typical aromas of ice wines usually tend towards the stone fruits (such as apricot and peach), pear, honey, green apple and citrus fruits, depending upon the grape varietal used. Some white varietals tend to have aromas of tropical and exotic fruits such as mango, pineapple, and lychee.

Ice Wine Pricing

Because the winter freeze needs to occur after the grapes are ripe and be cold enough for the grapes to freeze, ice wine may not be produced every year. Sometimes when a freeze is delayed, the grapes may rot or lost to wild animals. While sometimes when the freeze is too severe, little or no juice can be extracted. Due to the lower yield and difficulty of processing, ice wines are usually much pricier than table wines and are often sold in half-bottle volume of 375 ml.

Food and Wine

"I always knew that food and wine were vital, with my mother being Italian and a good cook."
-Robert Mondavi 

Wine Storage- Storing and Caring for Your Wine

Often times, it is not how good the wine is, but how good you store your wine that matters. To protect the quality of your wine, proper storage and good care are extremely important because these will directly affect the final character of your wine. Indeed, proper wine storage can always make all the difference. If you store it right, it can lead to euphoria; if you store it wrong, it can always lead to serious depression. Just imagine, what can be more disappointing than waiting for years to open a bottle of wine only to find that it is nothing but vinegar?

To properly store your wine, there are seven important factors that you need to consider, including storage temperature, fluctuation of storage temperature, storage humidity, ventilation, lighting, the angle of the bottle during storage, and the vibration of the bottle on the storage rack.

Factor #1: Storage Temperature

Storage temperature is the most important factor to consider when storing wine. Even if you’re storing wine for just a few weeks, the final quality of the wine can be greatly affected by the temperature at which it is stored. All wines, whether red or white, shall be stored between 45 ° - 60 °F at all times, with 50 ° - 55 ° being the optimal range. In this way, the low temperature can help to age the wine. At high storage temperature, wines age faster and the excessive heat may chemically damage the wine.

Factor #2: Temperature Fluctuation

In addition to maintaining the optimal storage temperature, it is important to keep any temperature fluctuations to a minimum. Fluctuation may cause the outside air to seep into the bottle and ruin the wine. Therefore, a properly stored wine only allows a very small fluctuation of the ideal storage temperature. It is usually recommended that the temperature shall not fluctuate more than 5 °F and that those fluctuations are rare and happens slowly.

Factor #3: Storage Humidity

Wines are best stored at the humidity level of 70%, though it is perfectly acceptable to keep it at 10% above or below 70%. High humidity (80% or higher) can cause the labels and cork to rot or mold. This can greatly affect the wine’s value. On the other hand, low humidity (50% or below) can cause the cork to dry out and shrink or crack, allowing air into the bottle and damage the wine in little or no time.

Factor #4: Ventilation

It should be noted that a cork doesn’t 100% seal your wine bottle. Outside air may always seep into the wine bottle through the cork. Therefore, be sure that you don’t store your wine with other substances like cleaning solvents, paint or other chemicals in which the odors may contaminate your wine.

Factor #5: Lighting

Wines like darkness. Light can always ruin any type of wine. This is why most wine bottles are tinted with dark colored glass- to allow only very little light to get to the wine. Light can cause the wine to age prematurely. Therefore, always store your wine out of direct sunlight and never store it in a well lit room.



Wines stored with cork
facing down.



Factor #6: Storage Angle

As mentioned earlier, air may get into the bottle if the cork dries out. To prevent this from happening, wine bottles should always be stored either horizontally or at 0 ° - 45 ° angle with the cork facing down. By doing this the wine is always in contact with the cork, preventing it from drying out.

Factor #7: Vibration

Vibrations are never a good thing for wine. Under frequent vibration, the sediment in the bottle becomes unsettled and can ruin the wine. To prevent damage from sediment, always store your wine in a place that is free of vibration. This will give ample time for the sediment to settle.

To achieve optimal storage condition and to protect the quality and investment of your wine collection, having a right kind of wine cellar is imperative. It doesn’t matter if you’re storing your wine for ten days or ten years, a good wine cellar is a must. The good news is, you don’t have to invest a lot of money in it. You can save thousands of Dollars building one on your own using the easy-to-follow guide, “Build Your Own Home Wine Cellar”. Build one to store your wine, and you can be assured real good wines after years of storage. Not vinegars!

How Are Wines Named?

Are you new to the world of wine? Do you find it confusing when you’re looking at the wine labels? Wine names can sometimes be quite confusing since they are named in two different ways. In general, Old World (European) wines are named by the region of production, while New World (non-European) wines are named by the grape variety used.

Varietal Names

In the United States and Australia, wine makers tend to name their wines after the variety of grape used in the production. For example, a “Merlot” is made with Merlot grapes while a “Chardonnay” is made with Chardonnay. This type of wine is known as a varietal.

Sometimes, a varietal wine can be made with a combination of two or more grape varietals. In this case, the wine is named after the predominant grape (legally it should make up at least 75% of the blend).  However, it should be kept in mind that the label only has to reveal the name of the predominant grape. The other minor grape varietals are not usually listed. In certain wine regions of the US, wine makers voluntarily list all the grape varietals on their labels. Sometimes they even show the percentage of each varietal used.  

Regional Names

A vineyard in France

In Europe, wine makers prefer naming their wines by the region in which the grapes are grown instead of the types of grape used. In fact, most of these wines do not even mention what kind of grapes was used. However, in Europe there are wine laws that govern the types of grapes that can be used to make wine bearing the name of a specific region. Thus, by providing the name of the region alone, they are also telling you which grapes were used to make the wine. For example, a Burgundy red wine shall be made with Pinot Noir grapes, while a “Chianti” wine shall be made using Sangiovese grapes.

But why would they choose to name their wines by the region of production? Isn’t it easier and clearer to use the varietal names?

To understand this, you need to understand that the taste of a wine depends not only on the grape varietals, but also on the temperature, wind, amount of rain and sun exposure, soil conditions, and many other environmental factors. European wine makers believe that no two regions (or terroirs) are alike, and therefore wine produced in different regions may vary considerably in taste even if the same grape varietal was used. They believe that by telling you exactly where the grapes are grown, they are providing you with the most accurate information about their wines.

An Evening of Wine

"Hide our ignorance as we will, an evening of wine soon reveals it. "
-Heraclitus

Corkscrew

"Always carry a corkscrew and the wine shall provide itself."
-Basil Bunting

Seven Most Popular Types of White Wine

While red wines are made by growing and processing red grapes, white wines are made by growing and processing white grapes. A white wine’s character and flavor are often determined by the type of grape varietal used, the region where the grapes are grown and how they are processed.

Of all the hundreds of different white wine varietals available around the world, there are seven that are most popular: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay (shar-dun-NAY)

While Cabernet sauvignon is the king of red wine grapes, Chardonnay can be regarded as the king of white wine grapes. Originated from the Burgundy region of France, Chardonnay is now grown in almost all the regions where white wine grapes are grown. Chardonnay is relatively neutral in flavor. Most of its flavor is derived from its growing conditions and from the conditions of the wine production. This makes it the most complicated wine grapes of all. Most chardonnay wines are full, golden, and velvety with hints of fresh tropical fruits, citrus, melons, and an overtone of oak.



Sauvignon blanc



Sauvignon Blanc (SO-vin-yon BLAHNK)

Originated from the Bordeaux region of France, Sauvignon blanc is now widely planted in many other wine regions including California, Canada, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. It is a green-skinned grape that produces crisp, elegant, and refreshing white wine. Depending upon the climate, the flavor of Sauvignon blanc may range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Sauvignon blanc is usually consumed young as it does not benefit much from aging. In France, it is often blended with Semillon to produce a syrupy, full-bodied wine which may be of world class.

Riesling

Riesling (REES-ling)

Originated in the Rhine region of Germany, Riesling is an aromatic grape that displays a flowery, apple-like aroma. Riesling is highly terroir-expressive, meaning that its characteristic depends greatly upon where it is grown. Generally, it is high in acidity and low in alcohol, making it suitable to be used to make sweet and sparkling wines. Riesling can be regarded as the finest white grape in the world owing to the longevity of its wines. Unlike Chardonnay, Riesling is capable of ageing in bottle for decades or even centuries. Indeed, it taste better and better as it ages.

Chenin blanc

Chenin Blanc (SHEN’N BLAHNK)

Chenin Blanc is a white wine grape variety originated from the Loire Valley of France. It is also widely cultivated in South Africa where it is known as ‘Steen’. Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile grapes that can be used to produce a great variety wines. Depending upon where they are grown, how they are aged and how they are processed, Chenin Blanc can be made into everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines. It often exhibits flavors and aromas of fruit, honey, quince, and grasses. Wines made from Chenin Blanc are high in acidity and display a deep gold coloring.

Semillon

Semillon (SEM-ih-yon)

Semillon is grown mainly in the Bordeaux region of France but is also planted in virtually all the world’s wine regions. It is golden yellow at maturity and may turn amber-pink under increasing sun exposure. It is rather heavy, with low acidity and oily texture, making it the key ingredient to the production of sweet wines such as Sauternes. Semillon has been the world’s most planted white grape but has now declined in its popularity due to its lack of complexity and intensity. Although Semillon can produce good wines on its own, it is more commonly blended with Sauvignon Blanc because it lacks positive aroma while it makes up for sauvignon’s lack of body.

Pinot gris

Pinot Gris (PEE-no GREE)

It is known as Pinot Grigio (PEE-no GREE-zo) in Italy and France, and as Pinot Gris in the United States. It is thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir (a red grape varietal) and it usually has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, Gris (meaning “grey” in French). However, the wines produced from this kind of grape can vary in color ranging from pale, straw-like yellow to deep golden yellow. Its flavor may range from melon to pear and some even exhibits a citrus aroma, making it a popular grape for orange wine. Pinot Gris has a very smooth texture, with an almost silk-like overtone that often leave an impression on the palate.



Gewürztraminer



Gewürztraminer (geh-VERTS-trah-mee-ner)

Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety with pink to red skin color. It is chiefly grown in Germany and in the Alsace region of France. Of all the wine varietals, Gewürztraminer is perhaps the hardest wine to pronounce, yet the easiest to drink. It has fruity flavors with aromas of rose petals, peach, passion fruit and lychee, making it one of the few wines that pair nicely with Asian dishes.