Ice Wine Harvest

Black Star Farms and Chateau Chantal each saved a few acres of grapes this harvest, hoping conditions would be right for ice wine, a sweet wine made from grapes that have frozen while still on the vine. The gamble paid off last week for Black Star when they harvested about 8,000 pounds of grapes. Check out their post on the harvest, which started "in a blinding snow storm with 9 degree wind chills."

At Chateau Chantal, winemaker Brian Hosmer is checking the consistency of the grapes every day. "What I am looking for is a solid day or two at 15-17 degrees Fahrenheit, "he says. "What this temperature will do is freeze the water inside of the berries, so that when we press them the water stays inside of the berry, and the resulting juice is more concentrated." Brian is going to keep us posted.

Filed under Wineries