Highlights
- The grapes freeze naturally outdoors while still on the vine.
- They are picked and pressed in their frozen state.
- Some of the grape’s water remains as ice during pressing.
- The extracted juice is concentrated in sugar, acidity and other grape constituents.
- Fermentation turns some of the sugar into alcohol, while the finished wine commonly retains sweetness.
- Icewine can be made from white or red grapes.
- Late-harvest, botrytised, dried-grape and artificially frozen-grape wines are made differently.
How is icewine made?
1. Grapes remain on the vine
Instead of being harvested at the usual time, suitable grapes remain on the vine until naturally cold conditions freeze them. This requires a climate where freezing can occur reliably in the vineyard, although the exact conditions and legal requirements vary between jurisdictions.
The grapes must freeze naturally on the vine for the recognised icewine method. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) describes this as a form of vineyard cryoselection: the grapes are frozen during harvest and pressed while frozen.
2. The frozen grapes are pressed
When grapes freeze, some of their water becomes ice. The grapes still contain sugar, acids, flavour compounds and other material, but pressing separates the liquid juice from the frozen water and solid grape material.
The result is less juice than an ordinary pressing would usually produce, but that juice is more concentrated. A useful mental picture is a handful of grapes containing both liquid and ice: the pressed liquid is richer because some water remains behind in frozen form.
Freezing does not concentrate every component in exactly the same way. The safe general point is that frozen pressing produces concentrated grape juice, which helps give icewine its intensity.
3. The concentrated juice ferments
Yeast ferments the concentrated juice, converting some grape sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation may not consume all the sugar, so the finished wine commonly remains sweet.
The final balance is not identical in every bottle. Grape variety, vineyard conditions and winemaking decisions affect the wine’s sweetness, acidity, alcohol, aroma and texture.
What does icewine taste like?
Icewine is generally concentrated, sweet and aromatic, with acidity that can help balance the sweetness. Fruit flavours may seem particularly intense, and some wines can show floral, honeyed or dried-fruit impressions.
These are tendencies, not guarantees. Icewine is not always white, always made from Riesling or always syrupy. Canadian industry sources, for example, identify Vidal, Riesling and Cabernet Franc among varieties used for icewine. Cabernet Franc shows that the style can also be made from red grapes.
The grape variety and growing conditions make a noticeable difference. A white-grape icewine may emphasise fresh or stone-fruit flavours, while a red-grape version may show darker fruit. Those are useful expectations, not rules.
Icewine compared with other sweet wines
Sweetness alone does not make a wine icewine. Different production methods concentrate grape sugar in different ways.
| Wine or method | How concentration or sweetness is created |
|---|---|
| Icewine | Grapes freeze naturally on the vine and are harvested and pressed while frozen. |
| Late-harvest wine | Grapes remain on the vine longer and become riper, but they do not have to freeze naturally. |
| Botrytised wine | Beneficial botrytis, sometimes called noble rot, changes the berries and reduces their water content. |
| Dried-grape wine | Grapes lose water through drying, either on or off the vine depending on the style. |
| Artificially frozen-grape wine | Grapes are frozen using physical or industrial methods rather than natural freezing in the vineyard. |
| Fortified sweet wine | Sweetness results from a different winemaking approach, often involving the addition of grape spirit or another permitted alcohol intervention. |
Artificially frozen grapes should not be described as equivalent to traditional icewine without qualification. The legal treatment of these wines is jurisdiction-specific, but the OIV definition and Australian and Canadian terminology rules distinguish natural freezing on the vine from artificial freezing.
What does “icewine” mean in Australia?
For Australian readers, this distinction also appears in labelling guidance. Wine Australia states that “icewine”, “ice wine” and “ice-wine” may only be used in the description and presentation of wine obtained exclusively from grapes naturally frozen on the vine.
That means a sweet Australian wine is not automatically icewine because it is made in a cool climate, tastes sweet or is served chilled. Late-harvest, botrytised, fortified and dried-grape wines remain separate styles unless they meet the relevant definition.
The Australian guidance establishes how the term may be used; it does not, by itself, establish that Australia is a major icewine-producing country or identify a particular region as a reliable source.
How should you serve icewine?
Icewine is usually approached as a dessert-style wine, so small pours are a practical starting point. Its sweetness and concentration can make a little feel substantial.
It can work with fruit-based desserts, lightly sweet desserts, strongly flavoured cheeses or rich savoury foods such as pâté. The aim is usually to create contrast: acidity can refresh the palate while sweetness meets or balances the food.
You do not need to wait for dessert, though. A small glass can also be enjoyed on its own as a concentrated, slow-sipping wine.
Frequently asked questions
Is icewine always sweet?
Icewine is generally sweet because its grapes produce concentrated juice containing substantial sugar, and fermentation commonly leaves some sugar in the finished wine. The exact sweetness varies.
Is icewine made from ice?
No. The grapes freeze, but the wine is made from the concentrated juice pressed from those frozen grapes. Some of the grape water remains as ice during pressing.
Is icewine the same as late-harvest wine?
No. Late-harvest grapes remain on the vine longer and become riper, but they do not need to freeze naturally. Natural freezing on the vine is central to the icewine method.
Is Eiswein the same as icewine?
“Eiswein”, “ice wine” and “vin de glace” are recognised international terms associated with wine made from naturally frozen grapes. However, legal definitions and labelling rules can differ between jurisdictions.
Is icewine only made from Riesling?
No. Riesling is one recognised variety, but icewine can be made from other white grapes and from red grapes such as Cabernet Franc. Style depends on the grape and the place it is grown.
Where can I learn more?
For broader context, see What is sweet wine? and How wine is made. The first explains the wider category; the second provides general production context.