Arctic blast in Europe saves Czech ice wine

As reported previously ice wine production has been severely disrupted this year by warmer temperatures - there will be no Eiswein production from Mosel this year. However they were jumping for joy in a vineyard in Moravia, as the Arctic chill striking Europe meant temperatures dipped to -7 Celsius.

Winemakers in southeast Czech Republic finally got the deep chill they needed to harvest grapes for the most prestigious part of their business — ice wine. Strict government regulations are in place saying the grapes for ice wine can't be picked until the mercury drops to that level. Wine is relatively new in the Czech Republic where it has been produced since 1995 after a new wine law set rules for its making. It forms less than 1 percent of overall wine production in the country but has proved successful.

They had never picked the grapes so late before as they have usually been picked before the year's end and they'd almost given up hope.
Thanks God! It's minus 13 (Celsius) today, Antonin Zatloukal said with relief at the Three Oaks vineyard at dawn on a recent frigid February day with a biting wind.

When the grapes are harvested, they are immediately taken for pressing. With the water inside them frozen, the result of the pressing is a highly concentrated juice, rich in sugar and acids, which then undergoes fermentation before it becomes ice wine.