Freezing Temperatures: The Best Time For Ice Wine

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NORTH EAST, Pa. (Erie News Now) – Mazza Vineyards started picking their grapes Tuesday morning at Moorehead farms.

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Robert Mazza, owner of Mazza Vineyards says with the wet growing season they had this year, the harvest was still above average.











Temperatures have to be 17 degrees or lower for the best frozen grapes. Ice wine is much sweeter than regular wine because of the higher concentration.

“A lot of people refer to ice wine as a dessert wine” said Mazza. “But it’s not really a dessert wine because the alcohol does not exceed 16%. It’s actually a dessert style wine. While it is sweet, the alcohol level is what determines if it’s a dessert wine, or a dessert style wine.”

Mazza Vineyards normal location for grape picking is behind their winery, but this year, grapes were harvested at Moorehead Farms.









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