Ice Wine Production Begins Before the Sun Rises
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In a couple of months, the grapes picked at Casa Larga early Thursday morning will become ice wine.
It's a process that begins overnight before the sun rises. The frozen grapes can only come off the vines when it's somewhere between 16-18 degrees outside.
The pickers work by the light of a tractor, or with no light at all. The frozen grapes head directly to a press and then into a tank, where two months later they'll become wine.
"All the troubles you've gone through over the year dealing with Mother Nature, the rain, snow, freezing temperatures, the vines; when you sit back and actually enjoy the wine, it's great," said Jonathan Chase, vineyard manager.
Last year the vineyard's ice wine was named the best dessert wine in the world in the International Wine and Spirit Competition.
This year Casa Larga will try a new grape for its ice wine, the Riesling.
The vineyard will also celebrate New York's ice wines at the New York Ice Wine Festival at Casa Larga Feb. 20th from 12pm-7pm.
Casa Larga Vineyards