How to Drink Ice Wine

Icewine uses grapes that go through a deep freeze before being picked.

Icewine, or Eiswein, is a dessert drink severed after a meal in small portions. This is a very easy wine to drink, especially for the novice wine drinker since Icewine is sweet and fruity. There are certain regions of the world that produce authentic Icewine, so be sure to note regions, color and production methods before investing in a bottle of Icewine, which is typically expensive.

Instructions

About Icewine

1. Know what Icewine is. In order to effectively choose an Icewine, become familiar with the beverage. Icewine originated in Germany in the late-1700s, and is also called Eiswein. Bottles of Icewine could be labeled either way. What makes Icewine different from white wine is that they are the last grapes plucked from the vine. The grapes, usually Vidal or Riesling variety, are left on the vine until a deep freeze occurs. The cold weather causes the sugar in the grape to concentrate, therefore, making the wine sweeter than white wine.

2. Choose the right Icewine. When picking a bottle of Icewine, look for ones made in either Germany, Austria or Canada. The most popular Icewines come from the Niagara Peninsula of Canada. The color of the Icewine should be golden or amber. Note any production methods you can find about the wine-- Icewine should always be handpicked and frozen in 10- to 13-degrees Celsius; anything colder would be detrimental to the grape.

3. Serve Icewine cold. Try to buy a bottle of Icewine that is already refrigerated to cut down on the chilling time at home. When ordering a glass in a restaurant, be sure to note that the Icewine is much colder than the temperature white wine is being served at. When taking a bottle of Icewine home, chill it slightly in the freezer before transferring it to the refrigerator or a bucket of ice to chill for 1 to 2o hours.

4. Serve and drink Icewine in a small cordial glass. This is a dessert wine and typically follows a hearty meal. The Icewine can be drunk alone or with edible sweets. The flavors of Icewine resemble apricot, peach, mango and melon, so it would be wise to serve an edible dessert that complements these flavors. Foremost, Icewine is for sipping, much like Brandy, and not drinking in large shot-like gulps.

5. It is typical for Icewine to have a lower alcohol content than table wine. Some German Icewines have an alcohol content as low as 6 percent, while Canadian Icewines have a higher alcohol content of 8 to 13 percent. Since it takes nearly an entire vine of frozen grapes to make one bottle of Icewine, these beverages are generally expensive.