IceWine

Last Fall's Cold Weather Leads To Ice Wine From Virginia

Filed under: Wine

Ice wine is usually associated with places much further north but AmRhein Wine Cellars in Virginia has taken advantage of a cold snap last fall to produce a pricey ice wine. Last November, the grapes at the AmRhein vineyards froze and so the winery harvested the grapes and used them to create the sweet desert wine. It takes more grapes and more fermentation time to create an ice wine than it does for a regular wine. The Vidal Blanc ice wine sells for $45 for a half bottle. There will be 56 cases of 12 bottles each.

It's an interesting reflection on the world's changing weather since around the time that AmRhein was enjoying their first ice wine harvest last year, wineries in more northern areas were contemplating a poor harvest.

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Tags: amrhein wine cellars, dessert wine, ice wine, IceWine, virginia

Ice Wine Harvests In Danger

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

If you are a fan of ice wine you may want to stock up now because it looks like there may be a shortage next year. I've been seeing a bunch of reports from various states and Canada about the ice wine harvest, or more precisely, the lack thereof. Ice wine makers need to harvest the grapes when they are frozen and that hasn't been happening because of the warm weather across the Northeast and Canada. Even if the weather turns icy and the harvest is saved there will be likely be less ice wine. The good news is that whatever grapes are harvested may yield a tastier wine. As often happens with winemaking, grapes left on the vine longer, or subjected to temperature stressors can sometimes yield richer and more complex wines. The diminished harvest may also lead to higher prices for the sweet golden elixir. All the more reason to buy now and stock up for what may well be a lean season.

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Tags: global warming, harvest, ice wine, IceWine

The World's Most Expensive Ice Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Ice wine is always a little pricey. Those small bottles of sweet wine made from grapes picked once the weather is below freezing are traditionally made for sipping from tiny glasses rather than a healthy swig from more full-bowled stemware. You might want to use an eyedropper to partake of the world's most expensive ice wine. Decanter reports that the Royal DeMaria 2000 Chardonnay will sell for CAN$30,000 for a half bottle. Precious elixir indeed. There are just five cases (60 bottles) of the Chardonnay ice wine which is named for Billy Myers, a Niagara grape grower.

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Tags: expensive, ice wine, icewine, most expensive, MostExpensive, royal de maria, RoyalDeMaria, wine

Schonmarke Ice Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

If you've ever wanted to try ice wine but didn't feel like buying a whole bottle, Schonmarke Gold Icewine has created a 50ml mini that comes in a charming gold foil gift box. The $8 bottle of the wine made from frozen Vidal grapes in Niagara-On-The-Lake, is a smaller version of the already petite 350ml bottle which sells for around $50. I'm wondering if we are going to be seeing more and more wineries creating mini versions of their pricier versions in order to tempt first time tasters. This type of promotion naturally works well for liqueurs and whiskies and should be a good fit for ice wine since its sweetness often precludes multiple glasses (unless you are a sweet wine junkie like me of course).

[via The Moodie Report]

Tags: ice wine, IceWine, schonmarke, wine

Wine Storage Tips

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Wine

LifeTips has a great section dedicated to the storage of wine. Pretty much every topic is touched upon from building your own wine rack to wine cellar cooling tips. Some quick and important storing tips to keep in mind: keep bottles on their sides, store where there is little temperature fluctuation, high humidity is important for long term storage, and pay attention to the age worthiness of your wine before they go past their prime. Keep in mind wine cellars are not just meant to only be pleasing to the eye, but they must be just as functional as they are attractive. The need for a vapor barrier is commonly ignored when your designer doesn’t have the necessary knowledge of wine.

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