The first ice wine was produced, by accident, in Germany in 1794.  As the story goes, the owner of a German vineyard was out of town at harvest time. When he returned, he and his staff decided to pick and process the grapes anyway. The result was ice wine.  Originally termed "winter wine," ice wine remained Germany's secret until 1962, when it was produced commercially in Europe.

The grapes for ice wine are naturally frozen. Generally, the grapes are picked by hand in the very early morning hours just after the frost hits. No other method for freezing the grapes can be used— they can't be placed in the freezer to make ice wine! If this inferior method is used, the wine must have a different name.

Once the grapes are harvested, they're immediately pressed. The water, or bits of ice, is extracted. The intense flavor comes from the highly concentrated sugar and acid in the grapes, which did not freeze. After being pressed, the ice wine is stored in oak barrels for several months while it ferments.

Germany, Austria, and Canada are known for producing the best ice wine since they have such consistent cold weather. Michigan is starting to develop a strong reputation for its ice wines, so be on the look out fellow "Michiganders". Because the process of producing ice wine is so time consuming, ice wine can be very expensive and comes in small bottles.

Ice wine is best served chilled and goes well with any dessert. It should be sipped and savored to be  appreciated.

Fenn Valley in Michigan makes a fantastic ice wine—

"42" from Fenn Valley is a much honored ice wine from "the mitten state" (Tasters Guild International Wine Judging 2010-Gold; Finger Lakes International Wine Competition 2010- Gold; Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition 2010—Double Gold).  It has a wonderful bouquet of tropical fruits that all follow on the palate.  Sweet hints of apricots, mangos, pineapples and pears.  Dessert wines tend to be well-liked by many because of their sweetness and this does not disappoint!  $22 at a local market for a half-bottle ($15 from Fenn Valley) this ice wine is a great ice wine at a great price—especially on these hot summer days!  Serve chilled and enjoy!  Cheers!