Icewine

Canada is now recognised as the world leader in Icewine production. Icewine season starts when the grape vines are netted in the autumn to protect them from being devoured by birds. Grapes are then left on the vine until a sustained temperature of -8°C or lower is reached (typically between December and February). During the time between the end of the growing season and harvest, the grapes dehydrate, and the juices are concentrated, creating the characteristic complexities of Icewine.

Grape growers and wineries carefully watch the weather, looking for an optimum period of temperatures between -10°C and -12°C. This range will produce very sweet juice in the range of 35 to 39 degrees Brix (a measurement of sugar) – equivalent to 24% to 29% potential alcohol. Typically, a period of at least six hours is needed to harvest and press the grapes; usually during the night. Many wineries harvest by hand but mechanized harvesting is also used.

Harvested grapes are pressed in small hydraulic presses. Because the grapes are frozen, most of the mass is water and is left behind as ice in the press. Only a small amount of concentrated juice is extracted. Juice yields for Icewine grapes are much lower than for table wines; only 15% of the expected yield for grapes harvested for table wines. Icewine juice is very sweet and can be difficult to ferment. High sugars can create a hostile environment for the yeast and fermentation stops early, leaving relatively low alcohol and high sugar levels in the finished wine.

Icewine can be aged in stainless steel tanks to enhance their pure fruit expression or aged in oak barrels for an added depth of complexity. During the mid-90’s, a further development was the use of the Charmat Method to develop sparkling Icewine.

With ideal climactic conditions in Ontario, it produce some of the finest Icewine in the world, and over 90% of all Canada’s Icewine. Generally, the only wine regions of BC where the winters are cold enough to provide the necessary conditions for Icewine are the Okanagan Valley. Even there, the conditions for harvesting and pressing Icewine grapes generally happen few times per winter. In a given year, anywhere from 15 to 25 wineries will leave grapes on the vine in anticipation of an Icewine harvest.

In addition to Icewine, Canada also produces Botrytis-affected wines and medium-sweet Late Harvest wines. However, the generally dry conditions in the Okanagan Valley mean that Botrytis, or noble rot, is not widespread. Only a few producers consistently make a Botrytis-affected wine. Late Harvest wines are more common, with many producers choosing to leave some grapes to harvest later in the season when they are sweeter and then stopping the fermentation to make a wine with residual sugar.