We have been getting lots of questions about ice wine. Most know that it is a dessert wine, but the appreciation for ice wine comes from knowing how it is made.

Ice wine grapes left on the vine long after harvest season to freeze into winter temperatures. The grapes are hand picked in the middle of the night, at a temperature of about -8 Celsius (17 degrees Fahrenheit) and the brave souls that pick the grapes usually have to make their way through lots of snow.

Since the grapes are frozen when pressed and have had a longer time to ferment on the vine, only droplets of juice are salvaged from each grape. The juice is very sweet, almost syrup-like. Only three countries typically produce ice wine: Austria, Germany and Canada. Canada is the largest producer of ice wine today.

Ice wine is more expensive than other wines and comes in smaller bottles because of the challenging production and the small amount that can actually be produced. So next time you have ice wine, think of the courageous troops of people in snowsuits who set out at lonely hours of the night solely for your enjoyment. Cheers!