Ice wines: this is the Italian term used to define a particular type of dessert wine produced in limited quantities due to low yields and the countless difficulties in the harvesting and winemaking phases.
In most still sweet wines the bunch is attacked by Botrytis Cinerea, whereas for Icewines, the sugar concentration is due to the freezing of the water contained in the grape berry.
The harvest is generally carried out between the end of December and the beginning of January, exclusively by hand and during the night or early morning hours.
Taking advantage of the low temperatures, often well below 0°C, the still-frozen grape clusters are brought to the winery, crushed into a pulp and prepared for the start of fermentation.
On the palate, ice wines reveal a velvety softness, the result of a perfect balance between sugar and alcohol, and a pronounced yet not unpleasant acidity imparted by the strong day/night temperature variation.
The fresh citrus notes linked to fruits such as apricots or unripe peaches find an interesting pairing with dry pastries, dark chocolate or blue-veined cheeses.
The grapes primarily used are Riesling or Vidal; while in the "red" version it is Cabernet Franc that takes centre stage.
Recently, sparkling versions have also enjoyed considerable success.
Ice wines were created by the Romans, but currently the best producers worldwide are Canada, especially in the Ontario region, and Germany.
In Italy we find some excellent production in Emilia Romagna, Piemonte and Valle D'Aosta.
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