How to make iced wine?

Icewine (English ice wine, German Eiswein) is ice wine as its name implies.

Like the word "organic", ice wine has different definitions in different countries. Generally speaking, ice wine refers to ice wine brewed from grapes that have hardened when picking. But in Germany, France and Canada, the definition of ice wine emphasizes natural freezing.

Ice wine is defined as wine brewed by naturally freezing grapes on vines when the temperature is lower than 8℃. Grapes are squeezed when they are frozen into solid state, and a small amount of concentrated grape juice flows out. This grape juice is slowly fermented and bottled after a few months. In the process of pressing, the outside temperature must be kept below-8℃.

The definition of iced wine in China Wine Brewing Technical Specification is: grapes are delayed to be harvested, when the temperature is below -7℃, the grapes are kept on the branches for a certain period of time, and then they are harvested and squeezed to make wine with this grape juice.

Ice wine has a long history. Since it was discovered unintentionally in Europe 200 years ago, the brewing of ice wine began to spread. 1794 Autumn, the vineyards in Franken, Germany suffered a sudden frost disaster. In order to recover the loss, the winemaker squeezed the frozen grapes and fermented them by traditional methods. To his surprise, he found that the result was a wine with a balanced proportion of sweet and sour, as sweet as honey. To commemorate this great discovery, he named it ice wine. Ice wine brewing technology was brought to France, Canada and Austria by German immigrants. After further improvement by local people, the brewed wine is more unique and mellow. Its main varieties are Bai Bing wine and red iced wine. Among them, white ice wine is transparent and golden yellow, which is called "liquid gold"; Give off the fragrance of honey and fruit; Taste sweet and mellow, fresh and delicious; Red ice wine is deep ruby red, with a round, sweet and fresh feeling at the entrance and full of acidity; The refreshing fruit fragrance has a long aftertaste and a lasting and stable taste. It is a kind of green food for people who value health. The best drinking temperature is refrigerated to 4 ~ 8℃.

The requirements of geographical and climatic conditions for brewing ice wine are very strict: the harvest time of ice grapes is 2-3 months later than that of normal wine grapes. During this period, ice grapes need proper environmental humidity to ensure that they continue to be naturally dehydrated and air-dried without mildew or excessive drying. Ice grapes hanging on the branches are not only baptized by nature's wind, frost, rain and snow, but also pecked by birds and animals. After more than two months, they have to wait for special climatic conditions to appear. This requires that the temperature in the region should be warm enough in spring, summer and autumn to meet the growth needs of ice grapes, while the temperature around Christmas should be cold enough, and the climate should not be too dry all year round, so it should be moderately warm, which has caused only a handful of regions in the world that can produce ice wine. At present, only a few countries in the world, such as German, French, Canadian and China, have the conditions to brew high-quality ice wine. Moreover, affected by the climate, most producing areas often harvest ice grapes once every three to four years, which means that no ice wine is produced every year. Such a low output determines the rarity of ice wine. Every 10 Jin of ice grape can squeeze 375ml of ice wine, which is called "a gift given by nature".

Due to the extreme climatic requirements, the surface soil structure is mainly slate, which is very important for the growth of grapes. With high latitude and low temperature, every ray of sunshine and heat is essential for grape ripening. So only a few major countries in the world produce ice wine, 1. Mosel region of Germany (a tributary of the Rhine); 2. France C.E.E (North Burgundy) 3. Niagara, Canada Niagara is located in Ontario and Okanagan provinces of British Columbia; 4. Beidianzi Township, Huanren County, Benxi City is located in the "Golden Ice Valley" in Liaoning, China, all of which are located at about 4 1 degree north latitude. According to statistics, the current global ice wine production does not exceed 2000 tons per year on average, which is very rare.

In the Rhine Valley of Germany, which stretches for 65 kilometers, vineyards on both sides are dotted with ancient castles in Roman times, vividly describing a long human history intertwined with the changeable natural environment.

In Germany, ice wine Eiswein belongs to Qualitaetswein mit Praedikat (QmP for short) and is subject to relevant laws and regulations. It is divided into five grades.

1.Tafelwein: equivalent to French Vin de Table, daily table wine.

2.Landwein: equivalent to French Vin de Pays, regional table wine.

3. Qualitaetsween Best IMTER Anbagebiete: QbA for short, high-quality wine, equivalent to French VDQS.

4.Qualitaetswein mit Praedikat: QmP for short, specifically referring to high-quality wine, equivalent to AOC in France.

In France, ice wine is produced in strict accordance with AOC (French legal naming system).

According to the classification of wine grades, it can be divided into:

The first class is Grande Crus, whose wine label has the name of the vineyard, such as Montrachet.

The second kind is Premiers Crus, which has not only the name of the parish, but also the name of the grape producing area, such as Nuites Saint-Georges-Les-Porets.

The third category is the village or parish name producer wine, and the parish name must be printed on the wine label.

The fourth is Burgundy place name producer wine.

In Canada, the production and brewing of iced wine is controlled by VQA (Wine Merchants Quality Alliance).

Real products must comply with the relevant laws and regulations of various countries to ensure product quality. One of the most important regulations is that ice wine must be produced by natural methods, and artificial freezing is never allowed. This makes it extremely difficult to brew ice wine-grapes must be properly protected to avoid drastic temperature changes; Moreover, because the grapes for making ice wine are the last grapes left on the vine, people should try to prevent birds and animals from stealing grapes. Ice wine is fermented from 100% grape juice, with golden or burgundy color, mellow and refreshing taste, excellent quality and European flavor everywhere. This is unmatched by other wines. The brewing technology of ice wine is unique. Every February 2- 10/October, 65438+65438+, the cold weather makes the water condense, and the work of picking grapes begins. The picked grapes are squeezed immediately. The water in grapes freezes and is pressed into ice cubes, but the grape juice with the highest content will not freeze, so thick juice is obtained. Such a bunch of grapes can't get much juice, only about 10% of ordinary grapes, so ice wine is very precious. Even in the producing area of ice wine, drinking ice wine is a rare enjoyment.

Ice wine in Germany

Ice wine was born in Germany 2 16 years ago. 1794 In the late autumn, the Francken vineyard in Germany and Austria suffered a sudden freezing injury, and pieces of grapes were frozen on the branches. In order to recover some losses, the winemaker squeezed the carefully picked frozen grapes and fermented the wine in the local traditional way, but unexpectedly found that the brewed wine was not only full-bodied, but also refreshing, fresh, sweet and not greasy, with rich fruit aroma, which was refreshing. ...

"The Rhine Valley in Germany, which stretches for 65 kilometers, is dotted with ancient castles in Roman times, vividly describing a long human history intertwined with the changeable natural environment." Riesling, the noblest variety in Germany, is difficult to grow, with low yield and long growth period, so it is difficult to reach high maturity. However, Riesling has elegant taste and high natural acidity, so even if it is made into sweet wine, it will not be sweet and greasy because of its high sugar content. Other varieties, especially hybrid varieties such as Muller Thurgau and Scheurebe, mature faster and more stably, and reach higher sugar content more easily, but they are often monotonous and dull. For wineries, wineries with a long tradition and international prestige are carefully managed from the beginning of grape planting. These good wineries are more inclined to grow noble varieties such as Riesling, and will also pay more attention to controlling production and management. This is why Auslese in some famous wineries is more expensive than TBA in other wineries. Choosing the excellent varieties and products of wineries with international prestige will make you spend more money, but it is definitely worth it. Only under the premise of selecting valuable varieties and reputable manufacturers, the above-mentioned levels are more valuable for reference.