Trip to New York Ice Wine Festival

Only about a dozen of New York State wineries dare to create what is called the Nectar of the Gods - ice wine. A true ice wine is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The grapes are left on the vine months after the regular harvest has been collected, to allow for Mother Nature to do her job and freeze the crop outdoors. The grapes are removed from the vine in the dead of winter and pressed while still frozen. The result is a smaller amount of concentrated wine, often referred to as dessert wine for its sweet, intense flavor.

The New York Ice Wine Festival provides an opportunity to taste and get to know some of the top ice wines in New York State. Although the region is best known for Riesling, cabernet franc and merlot, many in the industry have identified a real opportunity for the New York wine industry in their ice wines.