The Wine Knows

A blast of winter cold helped British Columbia's ice wine harvest finally get under way.

At Inniskillin Okanagan near Oliver, winemaker Sandor Mayer had crews ready just before midnight on New Year's Eve and picking Riesling and Tempranillo by 2 a.m. when temperatures dropped to about -10 Celsius.

I have put out inquiries as to how many other wineries have picked for ice wine and still are waiting for ideal temperatures.

It is not terribly unusual for ice wine harvest to dip into the next year in British Columbia. In the past half-decade, ice wine harvest has started as late as February in the Okanagan. Last year, it was finished before Christmas, which was a great relief to winemakers throughout the Okanagan Valley.