Making Icewine

Canada’s Toast to the Land

The origin of Icewine has its cherished myths. Some say, at the end of the 18th century, German farmers accidentally discovered Icewine after trying to save their frozen grapes.

Today, making Icewine is a Canadian game. We may not have invented Icewine, but we have perfected it. Canada's Niagara region has the long, warm summers and freezing cold winters that create the ideal conditions for Icewine.

At The Ice House, we make Northern Ice™ by leaving our grapes on the vines well into winter to allow Mother Nature to cultivate the grape's flavor complexity as it ripens. When the temperature is at minus eight degrees Celsius, the snow and ice-covered bunches are hand-picked, often in the dark of night. While still naturally frozen, the grapes are rushed to our century-old winery, where they are pressed frozen. The juice, now highly concentrated, is transferred to state-of-the-art tanks and fermented and aged under the watchful eye of Jamie until it’s ready for bottling.

Through patience and care, our line of Northern Ice™ is magically transformed into a range of vibrant, jewel toned liquids, each with a complex, elegant taste, unrivalled anywhere in the world.

“ May our work together expand our ability to manifest abundance, growth, creativity and friendship.”