Other Ice wines/ Port

[tkutch]

I have never made one of these types of wines and never drank one to be honest. however I have a quick question. Why do they only make 3 gallons and can be costly? I am not questioning the prices but trying to understand what makes them this costly? My main question is how a good wine kit can cost roughly $115+ for 6 gallons and these cost $100 for 3 gallons. Just trying to understand this type of kit.

 

[Wade E]

Well most of these are all juice and require no added water and are of higher quality juice. They usually also contain more ingredients and a bigger flavor pack. The reason they make 3 gallons is 1 to keep the price down and 2 you wouldnt want 60 bottles of sweet wine hogging up your shelves. These are typically bottles in 1/2 bottles as they are very sweet and are a sipping wine after desert. They also almosr always include a very nice abel too.

 

[tkutch]

Ok makes since if the grapes are a higher quality. I didnt know that. Why dont they put a higher quality grape in the other kit wines? I ask because I am thinking of making one of these to try.

 

[grapeman]

As far as the ice wines, it is because of higher costs of the juice for the kit, In order to make a true ice wine, the grapes need to be grown in a very cold location-like mine or colder. You don't harvest them at the normal time, but let them hang. You leave them there until December to January so they can be harvested while frozen. The act of hanging and freezing and drying tends to really bump up the specifice gravity (sugars). Birds and other animals and possible disease all take their share of the crop. So instead of harvesting 5 tons to the acre, you might get a couple tons. Then the grapes are pressed while still frozen so that only the high sugar juice flows, giving you a typical brix of 35-40. That makes a fairly high alcohol wine, but ends up with a lot of residual sugars. This results in a sweet desert or sipping wine.


So that is why the ice wine kits are so expensive! By the way, a typical 375 ml bottle of ice wine will run $35-50 for a run of the mill one.

 

[tkutch]

Now it makes perfect since. Thanks appleman I didnt know that.