Vidal Ice Wine and Riesling Ice Wine
March 13, 2008
I love Vidal ice wine and Riesling ice wine as well but is there a difference between late harvest wines and ice wines? - Nick in High Point, NC
Right now it is good to note that Vidal ice wine and Riesling ice wine are also late harvest wines, but keep in mind that not all late harvest wines are also ice wines. Late harvest is a term applied to wines made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. This makes the grapes naturally dehydrate, concentrating their flavors as they take on sweet, raisin like qualities. Both ice wines and late harvest wines are made in a very sweet style but they are not to be confused.
Ice wine is popular in the cold northernly wine regions of Germany and Canada where the grapes can freeze on the vine. As the grapes are pressed, the frozen water crystals are eliminated, leaving the highly concentrated sugar behind. There are also “icebox” or “iced” wines made from grapes that are picked and then frozen mechanically.
It can be a little bit difficult for a wine virgin at times with a ton of different terms to learn and sort through. All you have to do is be patient and be willing to explore and try new things. I assure you that your curiosity will not go unrewarded. Cheers!!
Wine Crystals
March 11, 2008
Last night I opened up a bottle of white wine and noticed what looked like wine crystals down at the bottom of the bottle. Are these harmless and what causes them to form? - Ada in Norwich, CT
You really shouldn’t worry about wine crystals and actually crystals in wine can denote the level of quality. I’ll explain. These are more common in red wine where they take on the color of the wine and are regarded as part of the sediment. In white wine they remain clear and some people worry that they may be glass.
Sediments occur in bottled wine and the wine crystals you saw are a type of sediment. The wine crystals are potassium tartrate and this is found naturally in wine. It will precipitate and form these crystals under certain conditions especially at prolonged storage under cold temperatures. The processing required to guarantee that these crystals will never form is generally considered to diminish the quality of wine.
When you buy some bottles, they may already have crystals that have formed. Others may develop crystals while being stored in cold weather or simply refrigerated for a few days. Wine crystals come in various shapes and sizes. Sometimes they resemble tiny grape nuts or small pieces of ruby glass and will completely dissolve in warm or hot water. But again these wine crystals are completely harmless.
Don’t have a fit the next time you see these crystals and do not try to shake the bottle up in the hopes that it will dissolve them. Gently pour the wine into a glass and have a care free moment of bliss knowing that the crystals will harm you not.