Virtuoso Insights - June/July 2008 - (Page 60) the perFect ending Ice WIne chIllIng Out Over F Winter’s chills distilled into summer’s sweetness. or some, the term “ice wine” conjures images of wine poured over cubes, or perhaps a bottle chilled in the freezer. Yet more sophisticated palettes recognize ice wine as a delightfully fruity dessert wine made from grapes still frozen on the vine — and one that is finally receiving the recognition it so sweetly deserves. Discovered by accident in the late-18th century when a German winemaker decided to pick and press his grapes after the normal harvest season, Eiswein — also called “winter wine” — remained a European secret until 1978, when a Canadian producer, Hainle Vineyards, offered the country’s first commercial ice wine. Today, Canada is the world’s largest producer. Once the grapes have frozen on the vines (around 15 degrees Fahrenheit), the sugars in the grape skins do not freeze, but the water inside does, forming into ice crystals. As the grapes are pressed, they each produce one single drop of the coveted elixir. You’ll want to savor each drop of this refreshing wine on a relaxing evening, shared with good friends. Of course if you’re meeting new ones, it’s the perfect way to break the ice. 60 Virtuoso insights henrik Trygg/gettyImages
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