How to Find Ice Wine at Low Cost

Ice wine grapes are harvested very late in the season, usually in December or January. What happens is the water molecules on the grape freeze, forcing the juice into tiny pockets in the berry. By pressing the grapes with the frozen water molecules inside, only the sweet juices are squeezed out around the ice. The resulting wine is juicy, concentrated and silky. Ice wine is difficult to make, which makes buying it expensive. A bottle can cost $80 to $100 or more. However, according to wine expert Leslie Sbrocco, California and Oregon producers are creating less expensive ice wines by harvesting grapes and sticking them in the freezer. Buy ice wine like this and it still tastes delicious and only costs $15 to $25.