Ice Wine at Wollersheim

Yesterday afternoon, three curious ladies drove north of town to the quaint vineyards of Wollersheim to taste a reserved wine known as "ice wine".

Happy Winers
Emily, Emily and Andrea

With a complementary tasting ticket we got to wander upstairs to a small room filled with rosy cheeks, harp music, and small plastic cups containing the curious liquid. After a few small sips we concluded that ice wine resembles a sweet cough syrup. Ew. This was so disappointing given how labor intensive it is to prepare! The grapes need to remain on the vines until frozen at 5-10 degrees. Harvest usually occurs mid-December in snowy conditions. The grapes must be picked frozen and pressed frozen according to ice wine protocol. I really like the idea and the unique tradition behind making this wine. Perhaps it requires more than a few quick sips to get to know this sweet, thick drink, or a thoughtful food pairing to balance the flavors. I can imagine it might be quite good as a dessert wine paired with dry cheeses and fruit spreads.

I bought a bottle of cranberry wine, recommended by Andrea, and the three of us sat in the grass and watched the crisp, golden sun slowly dip behind the beautiful Wisconsin country side. Just a blink and we were in Tuscany (minus the creepy Italian tress)!

Wollersheim Vineyards.
Future harvests.