The cold snap in November meant that many German wine regions have already harvested grapes for producing ice wine which is unusually early. Regulations require a minimum temperature of minus 7°C (in other words, it should be minus seven C or colder), and on November 22 growers in
- Rheinhessen,
- Franconia (Franken),
- Saxony (Sachsen),
- Palatinate (Pfalz),
- Hessische Bergstrasse,
- Württemberg, and
- Mosel
were able to pick the valuable frozen grapes. In addition to riesling and silvaner, the new fungus‑resistant souvignier gris was also harvested.
German ice wines generally have very high natural residual sugar levels, well above 100 grams per litre, and a low alcohol content of around 7 percent.
It is not possible to produce ice wine every year (actually, only quite rarely, not even one year of two) and it is always associated with risk. But it is a highly sought‑after wine thanks to its combination of sweetness and freshness. The impressive must weights suggest that the 2025 vintage will be an outstanding year for ice wine.
Read more: winesofgermany
