I know what you’re thinking. Why bother? Well, frozen grapes produce extraordinary wine. Only the water in them freezes and it stays frozen when the grapes are pressed, so the ice can be discarded, leaving exceptionally concentrated juice, which then becomes intensely sweet wine.
Eiswein/icewine is sold in half-bottles, and because producers end up with only a tiny amount, it is invariably expensive. Canadian names to look for include Inniskillin, Mission Hill, Jackson-Triggs, Château des Charmes. Eiswein, even rarer, is sold by merchants such as The Wine Barn (01256 391211) — a 1987 from Weingut Wirsching; Howard Ripley (020 8877 3065) — a 2002 from Ernst Loosen; and The Wine Society (01438 741177). 1997
Darting Estate Eiswein Scheurebe, £12, 37.5cl
Mouthwateringly sweet passion fruit and grapefruit flavours (Marks & Spencer).
2003 Inniskillin Oak Aged Vidal Icewine, £47.50-£50, 37.5cl
Luscious Canadian icewine (Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, Waitrose Canary Wharf and Belgravia branches).
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1999 Felsner Icon Grüner Veltliner Eiswein, £15.99, 37.5cl
Sumptuous, chocolatey, lime-flavoured Austrian (Sunday Times Wine Club, 0870 220 0010).
WINE BLUFF
"Canada is the world's largest producer of icewine/eiswein"
Anorak fact: although summers in Ontario’s vineyards can be warmer than in Bordeaux and Burgundy, winters are longer and much colder