Icewine Production

While most wine grape varietals are harvested in September or October, Icewine grapes are left to hang on the vine until they freeze. In Niagara, grapes are ready for Icewine harvest around early-mid January. Since the juice is rich in sugar, the temperature has to drop well below freezing and stay there long enough for the bunches to be harvested and pressed while still in their frozen state. Canadian wine law states that grapes designated for Icewine cannot be picked until the mercury drops to at least -8°C.

Originally, Canadian Icewine was made from either Vidal or Riesling grapes. Today, we utilize Riesling, Vidal and Cabernet Franc for different varieties of Icewine.

A grape berry contains roughly 80% water and when frozen berries are pressed, the water remains in the skins as shards of ice, allowing only small amounts of juice to flow out. The juice pressed from Icewine grapes is about one-fifth the amount you would get if you pressed unfrozen grapes.

VQA Requirements for Icewine*

• Production must be monitored by a VQA-appointed agent who will stop the harvest once the temperature rises above -8°C.
• It must be produced as a varietal from approved grapes.
• The grapes must be naturally frozen on the vine and harvested and pressed in a continuous process while the air temperature remains at or below -8°C.
• 100 per cent of the grapes must be grown within a viticultural area, which must be indicated on the label.
• The average sugar level of the juice used must reach at least 35° Brix (Brix is the measurement of sugar in grapes) and both the alcohol and residual sugar in the finished wine must result exclusively from the natural sugar of the grapes.

*Source: https://winecountryontario.ca/icewine/