Europe had a few freezing weeks in December, including Germany. This chilly weather has enabled some growers to make Eiswein (ice wine) finally again. It has been a long time. On December 11, 12 and 13, the temperatures dropped to minus 8 degrees C and even lower in several of Germany’s wine regions. The growers with bunches of grapes still in their vineyards seized the moment.
In Ahr, it was 20 years since they last made Eiswein. In Franconia (Franken), sugar levels were extremely high. Sylvaner and pinot noir were picked frozen. Hessische Bergstrasse, Mosel, Palatinate, Rheingau, Württemberg, Saxony and Saale-Unstrut also managed to make small amounts of Eiswein.
Eiswein is always about small quantities. This year it was not many producers that had left grapes in their vineyards. It’s a tricky business, deciding to leave a part of the crop for making ice wine (very uncertain) or pick them at the normal harvest.
Read more: Germanwines
