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« Noble Rot | Main | Pucker up for Cheverny »

04 October 2004

Eiswein/Ice Wine

Canicewine
If you've been to Ontario, Canada recently, you may have been offered an ice wine.  Nope, this doesn't refer to a fancy-schmancy cocktail or wine on the rocks.  It refers to a certain type of wine style that originated in Germany.

Germany is most famous for its Riesling.  German Rieslings are often low in alcohol and slightly sweet.  Much of this has to do with geography/climate.  The wine producing areas of Germany lie in the northernmost boundary of wine making.  A little further north and they would be forced into making beer or growing grain to make vodka - because wine grapes can't get ripe enough to produce acceptable wine.

The cold weather is a major contributing factor in German wines.  It often halts fermentation, which results in lower alcohol (~7%), greater amounts of residual sugar (more sweetness) and leaner, 'greener' fruit character (noticeable acidity).

Along with the French, Germans discovered the potential benefits of noble rot.  They also discovered that frosty nights in November can be the perfect catalyst for making sweet, concentrated and interesting dessert wine.  Thus, Eiswein (AKA Ice Wine) was born.

The water portion of grapes freezes at a higher (warmer) temperature than the sugars and acid - the highly concentrated juice.  The Germans discovered that by picking frozen grapes, pressing them immediately, they could produce their own version of sweet Ambrosia - Eiswein.Eiswein3

Nowadays the Canadians are big producers of ice wine.  This of course is also a result of geography and climate.

What does it taste like?  You have to try it to experience ice wine.  However, as a preview, here is a review from Wine Spectator

"Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Eiswein Nahe Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen 2000 Beautiful. Rich and concentrated, yet offset by a lightning intensity, this delivers pure flavors of honey, apricot, grapefruit and guava on a transparent structure. Terrific finish."

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