Ice wine ripened

Was it worth the effort in the “Siberian” cold?

Hannes Leeb worked in the vineyard a year ago, wrapped up tightly.(Bild: Claudia Reisinger)

It was bitterly cold in Lower Austria exactly one year ago. At night, temperatures dropped far below freezing. Hannes Leeb took advantage of this to harvest grapes for an ice wine. After twelve months of ripening, the sweet drop could now be tasted. 

Gloves, a thick jacket and a bobble hat - not exactly the everyday working attire for a winegrower. Unless he wants to press an ice wine. And that is exactly what Hannes Leeb did in Perchtoldsdorf, district of Mödling, exactly twelve months ago. At minus eleven degrees Celsius, the conditions were just right for producing this sweet dessert wine for the first time in ten years. Leeb and his helpers were able to transport 900 kilos of frozen grapes to the press house.

Honey, peach, tropical fruit
But did the efforts in the freezing cold night pay off? Leeb had to wait a year before he got an answer to this question. Because only now was the ripening period of the ice wine over and the big moment had arrived. Together with Sandra Dorr, the winemaker was able to taste the first glass of his "icy" Welschriesling: His verdict: "Our ice wine impresses with intense aromas of honey, ripe peach and exotic tropical fruits."