Winegrowers see little chance for ice wine
Once again, few winegrowers in Rhineland-Palatinate are relying on ice wine. Only 40 wineries have registered areas for a possible ice wine harvest this winter, the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture announced on Friday in response to a dpa inquiry. The total area registered covers 32 hectares. In the previous year, 24 hectares of potential ice wine areas were registered, compared to 107 hectares a year earlier and over 500 hectares in 2018.
Many winegrowers are not convinced that they will be able to harvest healthy grapes after the mixed fall, according to viticulture officer Benjamin Petry. Ice wine is a rarity and demands a great deal of skill from the winegrower. "Especially after a difficult fall, only a few winegrowers dare to take the risk." For this winter half-year, areas have been registered primarily for Riesling and Silvaner, followed by Gewürztraminer.
For an ice wine harvest, the grapes must be frozen through. This requires at least minus seven degrees for several hours. The overripe grapes are harvested frozen and pressed. Ice wine is particularly sweet because a large proportion of the water remains in the frozen fruit, resulting in a highly concentrated must with lots of sugar. If it is not cold enough, this means a total loss.
Given the current weather conditions, many farmers in Rhineland-Palatinate are refraining from planting crops for ice wine production, focusing instead on other crops suitable for the weather. Additionally, the lack of forecasted cold weather puts a strain on the production of specialty drinks like ice wine, as it requires specific weather conditions to freeze the grapes.
Source: www.dpa.com
