So if you’re looking for true Ice Wine, make sure you read the labels correctly.Īs we mentioned above, Ice Wine is a very sweet wine. If the grapes are commercially frozen and then used to create wine, the labels are not allowed to say “Ice Wine”, instead you’ll find them called “iced wine” or “dessert wines”. This means that these grapes are grown in very cold climates like Germany, Austria, Canada and sometimes China. In order to be considered true Ice Wine, the grapes must be naturally frozen outside and cannot be commercially frozen and then crushed. Only about 10-20% of the liquid in the frozen grapes is used to great ice wine, and the liquid is extremely sweet, sometimes even sweeter than a can of your favorite soda. They are put through a grape crusher where they are pressed until the liquid is extracted. Once the grapes are harvested they are immediately brought to the winery for processing. So while most grapes are harvested in the late summer into fall, ice wine grapes are harvested in the middle of winter when they are completely frozen. This super sweet wine is supposed to be served chilled, but that’s not why it’s called Ice Wine, the real reason is that the grapes used to produce this wine need to be harvested when they are frozen to the vine. Ice plays a major role in the reason that Ice Wine is called ice wine, but the reason may surprise you. When you think of the name “Ice Wine” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’m hoping you said “ice”, because you would be right. Wines that don’t follow these guidelines cannot be labeled as Ice Wine, but can be called by other names. A wine can only be called Ice Wine if it adheres to very specific techniques throughout the production process. Ice wine is unique in the way it’s harvest and the way its prepared when compared to the other, more common, wines available today. With this article though, we want to dive into a type of wine that most people don’t know about, and that is Ice Wine. Once you figure out what types of wine you like you can narrow it down even further to brands or styles. Are you ready for it? *Taylor Swift voice.Merlot, Cabernet, Riesling… red, white, sparkling… when it comes to wine there seems to be an endless amount of varieties and types to choose from, so how is a person to know what is right for them? Unfortunately the easiest way to figure that out is to go to a tasting, or try all of the varieties to determine which ones you like. And you should definitely use it as a shopping list next time you're at your local TJ's. I also asked a variety of friends and colleagues for their favorites, because not everyone's taste buds are the same as mine! Cheers to self-awareness!īelow, you'll find the top picks from all this research. Because I am a giver, I decided to go ahead and test many of the bottles of wine you can buy at Trader Joe’s Wine Shop for $25 or less so I could find the best of the best. (Mom, if you’re reading this, no I don’t.)īut wait, you say, how will I know which wine to buy if there’s such a big selection? A great question indeed.
#Brands of ice wine full#
I’m talking so affordable I literally bring the backpack I bought to travel Europe and stuff it full of bottles every time I visit so I can take *full* advantage of every trip. Some are Trader Joe’s private-branded, while others are from wine companies you may already know and love.Īnd while the variety of wines they offer is truly impeccable, typically organized by country and varietal, the best part about the store, in my humble opinion, is how unfreakinbelievably cheap it is. Sometimes a wing of a regular Trader Joe’s supermarket, and sometimes its own separate entity, this little slice of heaven is packed with bottles from across the globe just ready to be loaded into your cart and unloaded onto your bar cart. Full freakin' stop.įor those who have somehow never stepped foot in this cultural institution, allow me to explain: Trader Joe's Wine Shop is a holy mecca for vino lovers. What did you picture.a white sandy beach with turquoise waves kissing the shore? The safe and cozy arms of your S.O.? Well friends, if you asked me (and I’m quite aware no one’s asking), I would tell you that my happy place is Trader Joe’s Wine Shop. Take a moment to think about your happy place.
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