A visit to Canada’s wine regions will acquaint visitors very quickly as to what makes an Icewine. Canadian winemakers take Icewine very seriously. The VQA sets strict guidelines for producing Icewines. In British Columbia Icewine production is under the Vintners Quality Alliance BC and in Ontario they are overseen by the VQA Ontario.

Some interesting legal aspects of producing a Canadian Icewine include the harvesting of the grapes after they have frozen at -8º C (17.6ºF) for a sustained period. The grapes are not allowed to be frozen in freezers or the like. After harvest, the grapes must be pressed while still frozen. The juice that is pressed out is a very small amount and concentrated while the ice remains behind forming a huge puck ice shape. Icewine is expensive due to the extra hang time in the vineyard, when the ice wine crop can face destruction by birds and other animals, rot and storms. Add to that the high cost of harvesting, usually in the middle of the night, while the temperatures stay cold, and the tiny bit of juice that comes from each grape the resulting bottle of Icewine is easily $60 and up. And that’s for a half bottle. Order an Icewine at a restaurant and it may be $30 or more per glass.

If that seems a bit much, there are other dessert wines on the market. Some winemakers will say that they are not true Icewines or they are fake. Granted that iced wines do not face the rigorous regulations that Icewines do, I don’t believe they should be considered fake. However they should be labeled so that consumers can see the difference. These iced wines are created with grapes that are harvested and then frozen. They then go through much the same process as the true Icewines. Iced wines usually are much less expensive than Icewines.

Is there a difference? People will discover that there is a difference between the two types of wine. Tasters may notice a difference between the two with the Icewine having more layers and nuances of flavor. However if properly made, either one can be delicious! If you enjoy dessert style wines, then try an Icewine and compare it with an iced wine.

Interesting enough in the United States, one can purchase Icewine or iced wines. What do you think of Icewine versus iced wine?

Cheers! Kathy