Ice wine or as the Germans and Austrians would write it, Eiswein, is one of those pleasures of life that you need to experience to appreciate.
I can tell you what it is — wine made from grapes that are only harvested after they freeze on the vine — but that doesn’t tell you why it is special. Similarly, I could say that it is intense and sweet and nuanced, like nice Sauterne, but once again, that doesn’t get you there.
Perhaps if I told you that this evening, I opened a bottle of Weinrieder Eiswein 2014 just for a taste, drank the whole bottle and had a delightful snooze?
Here is some data from Lant Street Wines, Lonon
WEINRIEDER
Kleinhadersdorf, Weinviertel, Austria
Weinrieder are incredible white wine specialists based in the centre of the Weinviertel region in Austria, in the village of Kleinhadersdorf. Owner and winemaker Freidrich Rieder and his family are intent on producing high quality, fruit-driven wines and Eisweins. As well as producing peppery Gruner Veltliners typical of the area, racy full-flavoured Riesling, fine Chardonnay, and rich, minerally Weissburgunder Rieder has a great reputation as an Eiswein specialist and the wines regularly achieve marks of 90+.
The estate comprises about 20 acres across the best south/southwest-facing sites, growing Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay and the indigenous red grape St. Laurent, which is used to make a light pink eiswein. The single vineyards Birthal, Kugler, Schneiderberg, Hohenleiten, and Bockgärten are particularly renowned. The predominately loess and loam soils impart minerality to compliment the characteristic “pepper” spiciness found throughout the region. Early and consistent work in the vineyards, including an extremely rigorous green harvest, promotes thick skinned fruit able to withstand a long hang time. Production is relatively simple – the winery is full of spotless stainless steel tanks for long cool fermentations with extended lees contact. Rieder feels that, as so often in cool climate winemaking, preparation and the timing and careful execution of the harvest are his most important tools.
Buzzography 