Eiswen: Grapes Cling ‘Til Winter Comes

Blanca Valbuena
July 25, 2011

Grapes are often sweet as they are freshly picked, but it turns out that the flavors become more intense when the grapes are frozen down. This is the case for Eiswein wines.

The German wine classification, Eiswen, speaks of grapes which have been clinging on the vines long enough that it already reaches the winter season. It is said, that during the Roman times, grapes were frozen before harvesting them to produce wines. In 1794, the first Eiswen styles were produced in Germany, but it was on February 1830 when the style was discovered and put to use. At that time, grape growers had difficulty harvesting the grapes as the winter winds and snow were too heavy to be able to penetrate the fields, leaving the grapes under the winter condition. It was then that they discovered the sweetness of the grapes which were frozen by the weather.

History went on and on as the harvest of grapes in Eiswen styles were once a rare find during the 19th century because of unstable weather conditions that affected the development of the wine grapes. Luck was on the wine makers side as wine production from Eiswen became much easier and have increased with the invention of a pneumatic bladder press. Technology also played its part in the growth of wine production using the Eiswen wine style, experimenting with different methods to be able to produce wines of this quality. There is also a process on which you can freeze the grapes on a refrigerator and get pressed. This is called the cryoextraction, where the grapes are placed under a standard temperature to keep them frozen while pressing them. This method lets the grapes empty its juice while keeping ice crystals are left on the press. The wine it produces is something similar with the wines produced from Eiswen.

In contrast to the other German Riesling classifications, Eiswen wines should not reach the point of noble rot or be botrytized at a great extent. This keeps the grapes to be healthy for the winter season and ready for harvest. Keeping the grapes in frozen form helps build more sugar concentration on the grape while freezing its juices. That way, more concentrates can be extracted which results to sweet and very flavorful wines. The grapes should come clean, meaning no signs of botrytis invasion. The sweetness is not distracting, instead, provides some refreshing twist which is due to the high acidity features of the grapes, creating a balance in the flavors.

Eiswen: Grapes Cling ‘Til Winter Comes Eiswen wines also belongs in the rare category, because of the intensive production that the laborers are doing and the little complicated process of which the grapes undergo to be able to make a perfect wine outcome. Germany and Canada are the biggest producers and makers of Eiswens with Riesling as a major grape variety.

Riesling’s versatility is evident in the kind of styles it can be made. In this generation, dessert wines have come to find their place. Eiswens make good, refreshing wines, with a sweetness to complement dessert options and satisfy your curious palate.

Eiswen: Grapes Cling ‘Til Winter Comes

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