It was a cold, bright winter morning when we harvested our Ice Wine grapes—but spirits were high from the start. A fresh blanket of snow still covered the vineyard, just a week after a blizzard rolled through following Thanksgiving. The air was crisp, the sky clear, and the landscape unmistakably wintery in the best way.
Ice Wine harvests require very specific weather, and when the conditions finally align, everything moves quickly. Temperatures must drop low enough to freeze the grapes solid, and once that window opens, there’s no time to waste. Thanks to a large group of staff and friends, the work went fast—hands moving steadily through the vines as frozen clusters were carefully picked in the early morning light.
Not every year allows for an Ice Wine harvest. In fact, we were unable to produce a 2024 vintage because the weather simply didn’t cooperate. That uncertainty is part of what makes Ice Wine so rare—and so special. This year, however, winter arrived at just the right moment, giving us the opportunity to bring in a beautiful crop of frozen fruit.
Our Ice Wine is made from estate-grown St. Pepin grapes, a winter-hardy variety well suited to Wisconsin’s climate. The grapes remain on the vine well into winter, protected with netting and fencing throughout the fall to guard against birds and deer. When harvested frozen, the water inside the grapes stays locked as ice crystals during pressing, allowing only a small amount of intensely concentrated juice to flow. The result is a wine rich in natural sugars, aromatics, and vibrant acidity.
The 2025 vintage completed fermentation in late December and is now resting in a tank, where it will continue to develop until its release in early fall 2026. While a limited number of bottles from the previous vintage are still available, this newly harvested Ice Wine will take time—patience that’s essential to the process.
Moments like this harvest remind us why Ice Wine has long been considered one of the most labor-intensive and rewarding styles of winemaking. It requires trust in the weather, a willingness to wait, and a community ready to show up when the time is right. On that snowy December morning, everything came together.
À votre santé!
