Ice wine, the winemaker’s liquid gold!

December 4th, 2023, in the idyllic snow-covered Kremstal, the team around winemaker Franz Türk picked the 2023 ice wine grapes in the early hours of Monday. It is an event that is becoming increasingly rare due to climate change (yes – it actually exists). At temperatures as low as -12 degrees Celsius, the frozen grapes were harvested and pressed by the ice men and women to obtain the extract-rich, intense juice for the ice wine.

According to legal requirements, the grapes must be harvested and pressed while frozen at at least -7 degrees Celsius. The ice remains in the press and the finely structured juice is obtained through this natural concentration process. Good ice wine always tastes sweet, but with a refreshing acid structure and never picky and sticky. The production of ice wine is a testament to the patience and risk that winemakers must take to create this globally valued product. It is becoming increasingly common that the cold temperatures are reached too late or not at all, meaning that ice wine cannot be produced.

This Monday the time had come and the grapes for the ice wine could be harvested in the early hours of the morning under the supervision of the winery inspector. “This year we have exceptionally good conditions with the cold temperatures. The ice wine harvest is a race against time and the weather, and only nature decides whether it will be an ice wine year or not,” says Franz Türk.

The continental climate typical of the Danube region with cool nights and the cold, oxygen-rich air of the Waldviertel that flows into the valley during ripening produce wines of particular elegance. The sweet wines in particular impress with their balance and a fine interplay of sweetness and acidity with a complex spice. These are conditions that only a few regions in the world can boast of. Ice wine is popular as a final accompaniment to many dessert options or simply as a highlight after a delicious menu. In a nutshell: liquid gold!