At Nitz Wines, we are proud to carry on the time-honored tradition of crafting ice wine, a rare and exquisite dessert wine known for its incredible sweetness and rich flavors. Our vineyard’s location on the 42nd parallel, nestled along the shores of Lake Michigan, provides the perfect microclimate for this unique winemaking process. But what makes ice wine so special, and why is the 42nd parallel an ideal location for it?
What Is Ice Wine?
Ice wine, or Eiswein, traces its roots to Europe, where winemakers in Germany and Austria discovered that grapes left on the vine through the first frost produced an intensely sweet juice when pressed. This tradition continues today in select regions of the world with cold enough winters, including our very own vineyard in Michigan.
Unlike traditional wines, ice wine is made from grapes that are naturally frozen on the vine. These grapes undergo a freeze-thaw cycle that concentrates their sugars and flavors. When temperatures dip to around 15 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit, our team hand-harvests the frozen grapes, pressing them while they are still frozen to extract a small but highly concentrated amount of juice. The result? A wine with rich notes of honey, apricot, and tropical fruits—an indulgent treat for the senses.
Why the 42nd Parallel?
Our vineyard’s location on the 42nd parallel is key to producing exceptional ice wine. This latitude is home to some of the world’s most renowned wine regions, and its unique climate benefits ice wine production in several ways.
Being so close to Lake Michigan, our vines are exposed to the lake’s moderating effect, which helps extend the growing season and allows the grapes to reach full ripeness before the onset of winter. The cold winter temperatures, combined with the protection of our sloped vineyard terrain, ensure that our grapes freeze naturally at just the right time. This combination of factors makes our vineyard an ideal spot for crafting premium ice wine.
The Harvest: A Race Against Nature
Harvesting ice wine is a delicate and labor-intensive process. Our team must carefully monitor weather conditions to ensure the grapes are harvested at the perfect moment, when they are fully frozen but not overripe. The harvest often takes place in the early morning hours or late at night when temperatures are consistently low. Pressing the grapes while they are still frozen ensures that only the most concentrated juice is extracted, as the water within the grapes remains frozen and separated from the sugars and flavors.
On average, ice wine yields are much lower than those of regular wine. A ton of ice wine grapes produces only a fraction of the juice that regular grapes would yield. However, the concentrated flavors and sweetness of the resulting wine make this painstaking process worth every drop.
A Labor of Love
At Nitz Wines, crafting ice wine is more than just a process; it’s a passion. We are proud to carry on the legacy of our vineyard, where seven generations of grape-growing expertise converge with the unique terroir of Michigan’s 42nd parallel. The result is a wine that reflects the very best of what our region has to offer—an exceptional microclimate, dedication to quality, and a love for the craft of winemaking.
So, the next time you savor a glass of our ice wine, know that it’s the result of nature’s perfect timing and the hard work of our team, capturing the essence of Michigan’s winter in every sip.
