Bitter Cold Means Sweet Business For Ice Wine Makers

While many of us were wishing the bitter cold temperatures would go away, ice wine makers in Niagara County actually welcomed the frigid weather.

At least for a few days.

In order to be considered ice wine, the grapes must first be frozen at 17 degrees or lower for three consecutive days. This concentrates the sugars and the acids in the fruit.

If it's too cold, the fruit won't yield much juice. If it's too warm, the fruit will contain too much water and will sometimes break down.

In years past, Niagara County ice wine makers didn't fare as well as their Canadian counterparts because the weather just wasn't right.

Last week's cold snap was exactly what the folks at Niagara Landing Wine Cellars were hoping for.

Over the weekend, volunteers harvested one and a half acres of grapes for ice wine. The pressed juice will yield about 70,000 bottles of wine. The winery will release the ice wine around Mother's Day for its 10th anniversary.