“There is more going on here than just really syrupy, sweet drinking wine. “When you’re tasting it, you might want to slow down to truly appreciate what’s going on in there because what happens is that if you just drink it like normal wine, you’re missing out on all of the concentration of flavors,” he says. “It gives us that unique item, which is a red ice wine,” Dalese says.įor maximum enjoyment, Hosmer recommends drinking ice wine slowly. The winery’s new Cabernet Franc ice wine, which is currently fermenting, will carry the same price. That’s how much Chateau Chantal’s Estate ice wine costs. Michigan’s climate is well suited for this type of grape. Ice wine grapes require a period of cold temperatures in order to produce the desired sweetness. The state is home to a variety of climate regions, allowing growers to produce a wide range of wines. That’s why ice wines are pricier, with some 375 mL bottles retailing at $80 in Michigan tasting rooms. Yes, you can grow ice wine grapes in Michigan. “There are just so many obstacles to making ice wine that it’s a challenge getting any production,” says Dave Anthony, co-owner of Northern Sun Winery in the Upper Peninsula’s Bark River. By comparison, he says, a ton of regular-harvest grapes yields about 170 gallons. For Chateau Chantal’s inaugural Cabernet Franc ice wine harvest last month, winemaker Brian Hosmer estimates the crew picked about 1.4 tons of grapes to produce 70 gallons of juice. Photo courtesy of Chateau Chantalĭuring pressing, frozen grapes yield significantly less juice than grapes picked earlier in the season. Workers get all bundled up for the ice wine grape harvest. “Ice wine, for the winemaker, isn’t that hard to make, but it’s a struggle in the vineyard,” says David Butkovich, owner of Cody Kresta Vineyard and Winery in Mattawan. Ripe grapes attract hungry critters, and wind, precipitation and even rot can strip the vines of viable grapes. Waiting so long to harvest poses several risks. “Everyone makes Chardonnay, but only a few, few places can make ice wine.” “It gives the region something unique to talk about on a national scale,” says Marie-Chantal Dalese, president and CEO of Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula, which hosts an annual Ice Wine Festival. Michigan’s cold winters make the state uniquely suited for ice wine production.

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