Strictly speaking, ice wine is actually a special type of red wine, but because it is very different from ordinary red wine, I always like to compare ice wine with red wine to see where the difference is.
The difference between ice wine and red wine is mainly manifested in the following aspects:
1. manufacturing differences
Red wine is made from grapes by simple pressing and other processes, while ice wine is made by freezing grapes on branches at very cold temperatures and then pressing them directly with grapes and ice.
2. Differences in origin
Because the natural environment of red wine is not so strict, there are red wine producing areas all over the world except France, which is rich in red wine. However, there are only a few kinds of ice wine grapes that need a cold environment in Canada and some parts of northern Europe.
3. the difference in taste
Compared with red wine, ice wine is more refreshing, very smooth and has a deeper aftertaste.
4. The difference in price
Because ice wine has more complicated and strict requirements than red wine, and the wine brewed by the same amount of grapes is also very different, the price of ice wine is far higher than that of red wine, and of course its nutrition and function are also different.
From the perspective of raw materials, most ice wines are made from white grapes, among which Riesling, Chardonnay and vidal are the most famous. But now there are some red grape ice wines, such as Merlot. In fact, ice wine itself is a beautiful mistake. Sometimes, for one reason or another, red grapes freeze late and are used to brew ice wine.