According to the Associated Press, Ice wine, the expensive dessert drink made from grapes that are frozen on the vine before harvesting, is now being artificially made in order to make it less expensive. The naturally made ice wine sells for $4 an ounce, ranging from $75-$100 a bottle, whereas the artificially designed wine sells for about $50.
In order to make the artificial ice wine, winemakers are harvesting the grapes earlier in the fall and aging them in freezers that simulate the same outdoor conditions the natural wine grapes endure. By using this freezing technique, winemakers are able to lower the cost of production and labor.
“If you’re going to pick the grapes and put them in the freezer, you can do that on your own schedule,” said Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. “If you’re going to pick according to nature’s schedule, you literally have to have crews ready to go out at five in the morning when the temperature is just right. So the risk is greater and the labor costs greater to make naturally formulated ice wine.”
The issue with artificial ice wine is whether or not consumers will notice a difference. However, by producing this wine at a cheaper price, wineries can expand their market to include less-affluent customers.
Steve DiFrancesco, a winemaker at Glenora Wine Cellars Inc. in Dundee NY, said that while the artificial wines are clean, consistent and technically perfect, the natural wines have more depth, complexity and less predictability. Either way, the market benefits by offering both the natural variety and the cheaper alternative.
“People might try the one that’s easier on price and then move up to something more expensive,” said DiFrancesco.
