What Is Ice Wine | Ice Wine and How To Drink It

What is Ice wine (in German, “Eiswein,” also referred to as “ice wine”) is a type of sweet wine made from grapes frozen while on the vine. Typically, these grapes were left on the vine after others were harvested for traditional wines.

The unique taste is largely due to the rate of the freezing process. The water inside a grape will freeze faster than sugar. Acid and other solids within the grape remain unfrozen, at least in the first few hours of frost. This concentrates sweet wine to a greater degree, creating vibrant, sugary flavors and a syrupy texture.

How Is Ice wine Made?

Unlike grapes meant for red wine, white wine, and rosé wine, grapes are left on the vine later into the season.

Growers monitor temperatures as they drop, waiting for grapes to begin freezing. Once they do, all grapes must be picked quickly, typically within a few hours at night to prevent thawing. Grapes are pressed while still frozen, extracting juices that ferment for three to six months in a refrigerated environment.

Some makers use a process called cryoextraction to artificially simulate the freezing process. During cryoextraction, grapes are refrigerated until partially frozen. Growers then press these semi-frozen grapes to achieve the same effect.

Where Is Ice wine Made?

Ice wine is made all around the world. However, a few locations are particularly well-known for their i varieties:

Okanagan Valley in British Columbia;
Niagara in Ontario;
The Finger Lakes in New York;
Rheinhessen, Rheingau, and Pfalz in Germany.

Regions famous for their ice wine usually have cold winters and warm summers. Elevation can help this process, accelerating the onset of winter and increasing the chance of frost.

Canada’s Inniskillin Winery has served renowned wines since its first crop in 1984. The Dr. Loosen and Willi Schaefer wineries in Germany’s Mosel Valley are also famous for their Riesling varieties.

Popular Grapes Used in Ice wine

Ice wine is made from red and white grapes, largely dependent on the location. Red grapes are typically pink or pale burgundy, while white grapes are yellow or gold.

Here are a few types of grapes commonly used:

Riesling;
Vidal Blanc;
Chardonnay;
Sauvignon Blanc.

These grapes all share a common factor: their skins are protective against cold temperatures. This slows the freezing process, allowing for harvest before sugars crystallize. The grapes must also have a high sugar concentration.

What Does Ice Wine Taste Like?

Ice wine has a deep, sugary taste. This often creates notes of fruit like citrus, peach, and apricot in white wines. Red varieties commonly taste of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry.

Unlike other varieties, icewine has a healthy dose of concentrated sweetness. The high sugar content makes it more of a dessert wine. However, these wines also features a strong acidic side, which adds a structure that prevents a purely sugary beverage.

What Makes It Sweet?

Grapes grow past traditional fermentation levels, compounding the flavors inside. Frozen water inside the grapes creates a thick, balanced juice of sugar and acids.

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How To Drink Ice Wine

Most ice wine should be chilled for a few hours before serving. Many people serve in a chilled glass with dessert. Store each bottle for three to five days in the refrigerator after opening. Make sure to finish each bottle within five years.

How To Taste

Drinking icewine is different from traditional wine tasting. When sipping, try not to prolong contact with your tongue. This allows your entire palate to taste each dynamic flavor without overloading your sweetness receptors. Take slightly larger sips to enjoy the richness of the wine. After you finish each sip, take a brief break to rest your palate.

Take your time enjoying the notes during your tasting. Some contain stone fruit and tropical notes with floral accents like orange blossom, jasmine, and honeysuckle. Others are more citrusy, with accents of lemon, lime, and orange throughout.

Why Is Ice wine Expensive?

The preparation and harvesting is a unique process. It requires a labor-intensive gathering process, since many grapes are hand-picked in only a few hours. Many of these grapes also yield a lower juice ratio, which means that more grapes are required for a single bottle, compared to traditional winemaking.

One of the basic principles of wine is to harvest grapes when they’re ripe. Ice wine goes against this principle, as grapes are left on the vine until winter arrives. Some grapes rot, fall off the vine, or are eaten by wild animals during that time. Fewer available grapes for ice wine harvesting can further increase prices.

The average cost of wine hovers between $10 and $15 in many states. By contrast, icewine can cost $30 to $50 per bottle.

Assessing the Quality

Icewine has distinct characteristics that separate it from other wine types. When you’re assessing its quality, here are a few factors to consider:

Taste: Look for notes of honey, fruit, or apricot that balance sweetness and acidity.
Texture: Smooth, velvety textures should feel silky in your mouth without an overly dense feel.
Aroma: It should smell sweet and intense without any overwhelming notes. Look for something equally complex and inviting.

Ice wine is a luxurious beverage that is golden or burgundy in appearance and syrupy in texture. You can tell a high-quality ice wine by its aroma and authentic taste, particularly the flavor balance.

How to Pair

As a dessert wine, ice wine pairs well with several after-dinner meal options. Its fruity notes work excellently with apple tarts, berry crumbles, and other fruit-based desserts. Creamy dessert options like a cheesecake or tiramisu also partner well with icewine.

Cheese is also a delicious partner of ice wine. You can pair the tangy flavors of blue cheese with the sweetness for a delicious appetizer. The buttery taste of delicate Brie cheese is also a natural match as well.

Myths

Since it was first created in Germany, icewine has faced several rumors about its creation and quality.

Here are a few of the most prevalent myths about ice wine:

Requires noble rot: Some people believe ice wine is made from grapes affected by noble rot, a gray fungus that molds healthy grapes. While this mold is used to create some wine varieties, it is not part of the freezing and pressing process for ice wine.
All are expensive: While ice wine is typically more expensive than traditional wine varieties, you can still purchase a quality bottle for around $30.
This wine is too sweet: Some people avoid ice wine, believing that it more closely compares to fruit juice. While it is a dessert beverage, it balances sweetness and acidity for deep, satisfying flavors.

Explore more sweet wine favorites in our full guide to the best sweet wines to buy online in 2025 One of the best ways to celebrate wine is through a wine of the month club, which allows you to sample new red, white, rosé, and sweet wine varieties. Find Ice wine and other gift-worthy bottles in our Sweet Wine Club

FAQ

Is Ice wine the same as dessert wine?

Ice wine is a type of dessert wine, but it’s made from grapes frozen on the vine, creating more intense sweetness and acidity.

How long does Icewine last once opened?

Typically 3–5 days in the fridge, if sealed well.