© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local Wineries Look Forward to Good Ice Wine Season in 2017

DOMENIC RIVARD
/
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

2017 could be a good year for ice winein Northeast Ohio.

The dessert wine is made from grapes that have been left on their stems for weeks after a harvest and allowed to freeze.

Donniella Winchell, the executive director of The Ohio Wine Producers Association, says that weather conditions in 2016 were perfect for ice wine.

“This year we had a warm summer…dry. The vines were producing great fruit. So the fruit went into the fall very very clean. And in addition, it was a good year because a lot of wineries were able to pick that ice wine earlier.”

Winchell says that the conditions allowed the grapes to be picked in mid-December, which is nearly a month earlier than normal.

She says that the early picking means the fruit is fresher and in a better condition than it was in past years.

Copyright 2021 WKSU. To see more, visit WKSU.

Mitch Felan is a news intern for WKSU. He is a multimedia journalist with experience in print, television, radio and visual journalism. Felan is a junior at Kent State University, working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Journalism. During the school year, Felan works for Kent State Student Media in TV2, The Kent Stater, and KentWired. He will be serving as the Digital Director for Kent State University's Student Media Newsroom in the Fall.