Ice Wines

The grape harvest is done for the year. Now it’s time to ferment, craft, and age the wines.  But there is still one special grape harvest yet to be done, one that will not take place until sometime between November and January, after the grapes have frozen.

Ice wine is a type of wine that is produced from grapes frozen on the vine.  These frozen grapes provide a more concentrated, super sweet liquid that is crafted as a dessert wine.  Although other wines may use the phrase “ice-like," only grapes frozen on the vine, before fermentation, are true ice wines.

Legend has it that ice wines came about in the late 1700’s when a German winemaker did not pick his grapes in time to avoid a sudden frost and they froze on the vine. Refusing to discard the frozen, and apparently ruined grapes, the winemaker proceeded to make his wine. The end result amounted to less volume, but a much sweeter and more concentrated wine. Hence, the first eiswein (ice wine) had been produced.

Although Germany is the land where ice wine began, the largest producer of the product is Canada. During the 1980’s, Canadian wine makers realized that their region had the perfect cold climate for regular and exceptional ice wine production. (Or icewines, as it is spelled in Canada.)

In 1991, Inniskillin, a Canadian winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, entered its 1989 Vidal Icewine into the Vinexpo Wine competition in Bordeaux, France.  The icewine won the Grand Prix d’Honneur, and began the world’s interest in icewines.

The Canadian VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulates the winemaking process and sets the standards that must be met for a true icewine to be produced in Canada.  This includes that only healthy, naturally frozen grapes may be used – no artificial freezing is allowed.  The temperatures must reach -8°C (17°F.)  Harvesters must be ready to go when the winemaker determines that the grapes are ready. Frozen grapes are then picked by hand in the early morning darkness.  A VQA-appointed agent monitors the harvest and will stop the picking if the temperatures rise above -8°C. The wineries and barns are also kept cold, so that the grapes do not thaw out during the crushing process.

 

Waiting for these perfect harvesting conditions can be chancy – the final grape crop of the year must be protected from birds and foraging animals, and temperatures must be monitored to make sure they do not become too extreme.  If the freeze does not come quickly enough after the grapes are ripe, they can rot on the vine and the harvest will be lost.

Canadian ice wines have been called “liquid gold” with good reason. Every year, Canada produces gold medal winners in competitions around the world.  Icewine is known for its intense rich sweetness, imparting the aromas peach, pear, apple, sometimes a nutty essence. Depending on the grape and crafting, the full flavors of honey and caramel may shine through, or the wine may have more tropic fruit overtones of citrus and mango. The alcohol level of ice wines is usually between 7 and 12%.

The main grapes used for ice wines are Riesling, Vidal, Gewurztraminer, and Cabernet Franc.  However, there are several winemakers around the world who are trying different grapes to see if the results are as pleasing. Most are crafted to be medium or full-bodied wines.

Besides Canada, and occasionally Germany, ice wines are sometimes produced in Austria, France, and Sweden.  And, in Washington State and Michigan in the U.S.

Many other states make “ice-like” or "ice wine style" wines, but these are crafted from late harvest grapes that have been picked and then frozen.  Although less expensive that a true ice wine, the end result is a wine that lacks the intensely flavorful richness of an authentic ice wine.

Ice wines can be expensive, but the reasons are understandable.  Due to the strict guidelines for ice wine production, the yields are usually as little as 5 to 15% of a typical grape harvest. True Canadian Icewines can cost from $25 to over $100 for a 375 ml bottle.

So what can be served with a good ice wine?  Since this is a dessert wine, the selections may include desserts with fruit in them like an apple cobbler, peach crisp, or cherry-covered cheesecake.  Wanting to serve an ice wine more as an aperitif?  Consider serving it with pate’ and a mild, soft cheese.   

And you can’t go wrong with a chilled glass by the fire.  Once open, an ice wine can be kept, corked, in the fridge for a few weeks.

Enjoy!

~ Joy

Haunted Wineries of the Northwestern U.S.

It’s Halloween – the perfect time to explore a haunted winery or two.  This is our last look at haunted U.S. wineries, so pour a glass of something dark and brooding as we explore some ‘spirited’ wineries, and those who make them so…

Chateau Ste Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington State and one of the most acclaimed.  Located near Woodinville on 105 wooded acres, Chateau Ste Michelle is also said to be haunted. 

The Manor House was built in 1912 by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson.  The winery actually began in 1934 with the formation of the Pommerelle Wine Company, which made fruit wines, and the National Wine Company.  In 1954, the two companies merged to form American Wine Growers.  Ste Michelle began in 1967 as a new line of wines for the AWG Company.

Nine years later, in 1976, a French style Chateau was built in Woodinville and the name was changed to Chateau Ste Michelle.  In 1984, the winery helped obtain federal BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco) recognition of the Columbia Valley as an AVA (American Viticulture Area.)

The original Manor House is the location of most spirited reports.  It is used for meetings and special dinners held in connection to the winery. 





According to staff, a female ghost haunts the back servants stairs of the house, which connects to the kitchen and second floor. Windows on the upper level open on their own, lights go on and off, and doors open and close, seemingly at will.  Cold spots, shadows and footsteps also seem to move from the stairs to the second floor rooms.

Chateau Ste Michelle is open during the winter from 10 A.M. to 5P.M.  For more information, visit http://www.ste-michelle.com

~

Another spirited female keeps employees on their toes at Argyle Winery in Dundee, Oregon.  Located in the Willamette Valley, Argyle Winery was founded in 1987.  Argyle is celebrating its 25^th year in business this year, but its ghost has been around for over a century.

The female spirit that haunts the winery is believed to be that of Lena Elsie Imus.  Lena lived in the house that is now the winery and committed suicide there in 1908 by swallowing carbolic acid. She was 25 years old. According to news reports she was unconscious for ten hours after ingesting the acid.  She was then awake for 24 hours before she died.  During that time she said she had become depressed and thought she had nothing to live for.

But apparently Lena wasn’t ready to move on.  Employees report smelling flowery perfume in the house, laughter comes from empty rooms, lights turn on and off, footsteps can be heard upstairs when no one is there, and gusts of air blow through the house when it is still outside.  Staff also reports that glasses have been heard breaking and shattering in other 
rooms, but when investigated no glass can be found.

Argyle Winery is known for its Pinot Noir wines and they have named one in honor of Lena.  SpiritHouse Pinot Noir is a tribute to Argyle’s resident ghost.

Lena Imus is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at Dundee, along side her father and two brothers.  On her tombstone are inscribed the words, “Not Dead, But Gone Before”……

Argyle Winery is open daily from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.  If you stop in, be sure to try the SpiritHouse wine and raise a glass in honor of Lena.  For more information, visit http://argylewinery.com.

If you have enjoyed this series on haunted wineries, check out A Grave Interest @ http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com

for a look at haunted cemeteries.

Happy Halloween!!

~ Joy

Haunted Wineries of the West

It’s October, when thoughts turn to harvest, Halloween, and hauntings – the perfect time to explore a haunted winery or two.  This month, Joy’s JOY of Wine will take a look at haunted wineries across the U.S. and the world. So pour a glass of something dark and brooding as we explore some ‘spirited’ wineries, and those who make them so…

Inglenook (formerly Rubicon)

It began as Inglenook Winery back in 1879, and was founded by Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain.  He became one of the original partners in the Alaska Commercial Company, and one of the richest men in the world, at the time. Niebaum was also one of the original commercial winemakers in Napa Valley. 

Inglenook (which means, cozy area,) was named by the original property owner, William  Watson.  Niebaum kept the name when he acquired the property.  In 1975, Francis Ford Coppla bought 1,500 acres of the property.  The brand name and the historic winery, along with the 94 remaining acres were purchased by Heublein, Incorporated.  Heublein then began producing lower grade wines and releasing them under the Inglenook name.

In 1995, Coppla acquired the winery and remaining acreage.  He renamed it the Niebaum-Coppla Estate Winery.  Coppla later renamed it Rubicon Estate Winery.  Finally, in 2011, Coppla bought the rights to the historic Inglenook name and renamed the estate and wine brand by its original designation, Inglenook Winery.

It is thought that Niebaum is one of three ghosts that haunt Inglenook today.  Always a stickler for a spotless winery, many have seen Niebaum inspecting the cleanliness of the buildings and wine making areas.  Those who have seen him describe the apparition as a tall, slender man with a white beard,

Employees believe the second ghost is that of Niebaum's general manager, John Armstrong.  Armstrong can sometimes be seen outside of the winery doors, surveying the buildings and the land.

The third spirit wandering the grounds of Inglenook is thought to be that of Niebaum’s great grand-nephew, John Daniel, Jr. The Daniel family inherited the estate when Niebaum’s widow, Susan, died in 1936.  John Daniels, Jr. took over the winery operation and increased its reputation in the coming years.

Inglenook Winery is located at 1919 St Helena Highway

Rutherford, California.  Learn more at www.inglenook.com

Stags Leap Winery

Another California winery with restless spirits is Stags Leap Winery.  Built in 1888, by Horace and Minnie Chase, the 240-acre property was one of California’s first wine estates.

The Manor House was built of stone, with a crenellated corner tower constructed from local quarried rock.  The home has been put to several uses over the past 124 years. including as a residence, a resort, a rooming house, a brothel, a retreat for WWII navy personnel, left abandoned for a time, and now, as a winery.  Gangsters, gypsies, and bootleggers have all frequented the Manor House, which could explain why it is haunted…

Among the strange phenomena reported, doors open and close on their own, along with unexplained sounds echoing throughout the house.

Several have told of seeing a young woman on the second floor, possible a prostitute from when the home was used as a bordello.  The woman usually ignores any one present and continues on her way, walking through walls and doors. But she has supposedly spoken to one employee, although he would not repeat what she said.

Another employee reported three separate incidents when an acorn fell on his desk.  After searching the room and finding no way for the acorns to have appeared, the staff agreed that it must be the resident ghost having a bit of sport.  The three acorns are available for visitors to see in the Manor’s Library room.

Stags Leap Winery is open 7 days a week, 362 days a year. For information on wine tastings, or historical tours, visit  http://stagsleap.com/

Beringer

Beringer was founded in 1876 by two German brothers, Fredrick and Jacob Beringer.  The 17-room Victorian mansion was built in the same style as the family's original home in Germany.  The mansion was completed in 1884 and later named the Rhine House.

The home was later used as an inn during the 1940’s, and refurbished in the 1970’s.  It was placed on the National List of Historic Places in 1971. Beringer’s was bought out by Foster’s Brewing Group of Australia in 2000.

Ghosts and hauntings have been reported here for years.  In fact, a list of events reported by staff and employees are kept in a file. Many have seen apparitions appear in and near the Avenue of Elms in front of the property.

During the late 1870's and early 80's, the Beringer Brothers had tunnels dug into the side of Spring Mountain.  This was so the wines could be aged in the perfect conditions provided there. (Temperatures around 58 to 60 Fahrenheit and humidity of 75 – 80%, year-round.)  However, the tunnels, chiseled out by hand, were dug at a price.  Some Chinese immigrant workers lost their lives when tunnels collapsed before being finished. Those workers who never made it out are said to haunt the tunnels where  they were trapped and died.

But the most active location on the property appears to be the original Rhine House Mansion.  The staff and public have  reported the sound of footsteps when no one is near, and lights turning on and off.  A man has been seen walking through walls by employees, after the house has closed for the day.

Several incidents have been reported in the Founder’s Tasting Room, what was once Fredrick Beringer’s bedroom. Reports include a feeling of being watched, and objects begin moved or thrown halfway across the room. Many believe the ghost is that of Fredrick Beringer, still keeping an eye on his beloved winery and vineyards.

In 2001, the estate was placed on the National Register for Historic Places as a Historic District.  To learn more about the oldest continuously-operating winery in the valley, visit http://www.beringer.com/

Next week, our final look at haunted wineries – this time in the Northwestern U.S.

~ Joy