By Wines in Niagara
Niagara’s Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery was among the first to pick icewine grapes from the 2024 vintage early today.
It was the first opportunity for wineries and growers to harvest the frozen grapes, which can’t be picked until temperatures reach at least -8 C. Henry of Pelham began picked the frozen Riesling grapes at 4 a.m. today (Friday).
Due to the return of a strong global icewine market post-pandemic, the 2024 vintage will be the first since 2019 that Henry of Pelham will make an icewine. The HoP 2019 Riesling icewine was awarded the Diamond Trophy and Grand Prix Dessert Wine award at the 2024 Sakura Awards in Japan.
“The temperature dropped below -8 C early this morning allowing us to start picking this year’s icewine crop,” said Matthew Speck, co-owner of Henry of Pelham. “With the incredibly warm growing season of 2024, we expect the icewine grapes to be very ripe, making powerful icewine with almost tropical fruit overtones. It is beneficial to be able to start picking early this year, as the grapes are more advanced in ripeness than what is typical. This will help maintain freshness, a very desirable characteristic in Icewine.”
Lawrence Buhler, head winemaker at Henry of Pelham, said: “Exiting a great summer and warm fall, fruit from the 2024 vintage is packed with flavour and intensity. As we head into the start of the winter season, we are excited for a fantastic Icewine harvest.”
According to VQA, Ontario’s Wine Appellation Authority, pre-registrations for grapes set aside for icewine total 1,976 tonnes, down significantly from last year’s 4,095 tonnes.
Henry of Pelham has made icewines since 1989. A delicacy on its own, icewine is an elevated complement to charcuterie, spicy cuisine or rich dishes, such as foie gras and pâté. A decadent mixing agent for cocktails, Icewine can be enjoyed immediately or cellared for 10+ years.
What is icewine and how is it made?
Icewine is a dessert wine renowned for its intense flavours, rich bouquet and unsurpassed smoothness. It is produced from grapes that have been left on the vine after the fall harvest. When temperatures dip to -8 C (or lower) the frozen grapes are handpicked and pressed immediately to carefully release a thick, rich, yellow-gold liquid, highly concentrated in natural sugars and acidity.
VQA Requirements for Icewine
• Production must be monitored by a VQA-appointed agent who will stop the harvest once the temperature rises above -8 C.
• It must be produced as a varietal from approved grapes.
• The grapes must be naturally frozen on the vine and harvested and pressed in a continuous process while the air temperature remains at or below -8 C.
• 100% of the grapes must be grown within a viticultural area, which must be indicated on the label.
• The average sugar level of the juice used must reach at least 35 Brix (Brix is the measurement of sugar in grapes) and both the alcohol and residual sugar in the finished wine must result exclusively from the natural sugar of the grapes.
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