Ice wine is a unique and intensely flavorful dessert wine made from grapes that freeze on the vine. This natural freezing process causes the moisture within the grapes to evaporate, leaving behind concentrated, sweet juice. The resulting wine is known for its rich, fruity flavors and a delicate balance of sugar and acidity.
To produce ice wine, winemakers rely on specific and often elusive weather conditions. The grapes must be left on the vine until temperatures drop to around 15 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 24 to 48 hours. Once frozen, the grapes are carefully harvested by hand. They are then pressed while still frozen, yielding a juice that is significantly sweeter than that of traditionally harvested grapes.
The Challenge
This process is challenging to achieve, as it requires a combination of cold temperatures and enough sunshine to ripen the grapes properly. Only certain regions, like Michigan, have the potential to produce ice wine, and even then, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. Warmer winters have become more common in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for wineries to produce ice wine consistently.
At Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula, the team waits for the right conditions, sometimes harvesting grapes as late as March. However, some years simply don’t get cold enough, making ice wine production impossible. Despite these challenges, Chateau Chantal continues to produce a range of ice wines, including a traditional white varietal blend and a unique Cabernet Franc ice wine.
The Art
Creating ice wine is a labor-intensive process that requires specialized equipment. Pressing frozen grapes demands a high-pressure press, often a hydraulic basket press, which exerts significantly more force than a standard press to extract the precious juice. The high sugar concentration of this juice makes fermentation difficult, as yeast struggles to thrive in such an environment. Winemakers must carefully introduce yeast to the juice in stages, making the fermentation process slow and meticulous.
Even when conditions are right, and fermentation is successful, producing ice wine is a lengthy endeavor. For instance, Black Star Farms, located in Suttons Bay, typically takes nearly a year from harvest to bottling.
Ice wine remains a rare and treasured product, celebrated for its luxurious sweetness and the dedication required to produce it.
Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.