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How to Make Wine from Frozen Grapes (Ice Wine Style): Complete Guide

Updated: February 2026 | Reading Time: 13 minutes

Ice wine is one of the most treasured and expensive styles of wine in the world. A bottle of genuine ice wine can command prices of $50 to $200 or more, making it a rare indulgence. But what if you could create this luxurious nectar in your own home—without waiting for perfect frozen-vine conditions?

You can. By freezing grapes intentionally and pressing them while still frozen, you can concentrate the sugars and flavors to create an ice wine style right in your own freezer. The result is an intensely sweet, complex wine with honeyed notes and beautiful acidity that rivals commercial ice wines at a fraction of the cost.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the complete process of making ice wine style at home, from selecting grapes to aging your finished wine.

Understanding Ice Wine

To appreciate what we're doing, it helps to understand true ice wine first.

What is True Ice Wine?

Ice wine (Eiswein in German, vin de glace in French) is made from grapes that are allowed to freeze on the vine. Traditional ice wine production requires specific conditions: grapes must freeze naturally at temperatures below 17°F (-8°C), and they must be harvested while still frozen, typically in the middle of winter.

This method originated in Germany in the late 18th century and is now practiced in cool-climate wine regions around the world, including Canada, New York, and parts of Europe.

The Home Version

True ice wine requires nature's cooperation—specific freeze conditions at exactly the right time. At home, we can simulate this process by:

  1. Harvesting ripe grapes at normal ripeness
  2. Freezing them intentionally in a standard freezer
  3. Pressing while still frozen to extract concentrated juice

The results don't perfectly replicate true ice wine (which has unique characteristics from gradual freezing on the vine), but they come remarkably close—and the technique is far more reliable for home winemakers.

🔬 The Science of Frozen Grapes

When grape juice freezes, water molecules form ice crystals while sugars and other dissolved solids remain in the unfrozen liquid portion. This is called freeze concentration.

When you press frozen grapes, only this concentrated liquid flows out—the ice crystals stay behind in the press. The result is juice with dramatically elevated sugar content (often 35-40° Brix compared to the normal 20-24°), which produces intensely sweet wines.

The concentration effect also intensifies all the other compounds in the grape: acids, flavors, and aromas. This is why ice wines are so concentrated and complex—they're literally grape essence.

Selecting Your Grapes

The quality of your frozen grape wine depends heavily on the grapes you start with. Since you're concentrating everything, you want the best possible starting material.

Grapes frozen on vine

Best Grape Varieties

White/Ice Wine Varieties:

Red Varieties:

What to Look For

How Much to Buy

Here's the important thing to understand: you'll get very low yields from frozen grape pressing. Expect to produce only about 30-40% of the juice you'd get from normal pressing.

For a 750ml bottle of ice wine, plan on freezing at least 20-30 pounds of grapes. It's not unusual to need 50+ pounds for a gallon of concentrated juice.

đź’° Plan for Yields

Ice wine pressing yields are low—typically 100-150ml of concentrated juice per pound of grapes, compared to 150-200ml for normal pressing. Plan accordingly and buy more grapes than you think you need.

The Complete Process

Phase 1: Preparation and Freezing

Step 1: Harvest or Purchase Grapes

Source the best grapes you can find. If you're growing your own, harvest at normal ripeness—you want fully developed flavors to concentrate.

Pressing frozen grapes

Step 2: Sorting

Before freezing, sort through your grapes carefully:

This step is critical—every imperfection will be concentrated in the final wine.

Step 3: Pre-Freezing Preparation

  1. Spread grapes in a single layer on baking sheets or trays
  2. Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking
  3. Don't堆 grapes—single layer is best
  4. Label each tray with variety and date

Step 4: Freezing

  1. Place trays in your freezer
  2. Set freezer to 0°F (-18°C) or below
  3. Freeze for at least 24-48 hours
  4. More time is fine—the grapes won't be damaged

The longer and colder the freeze, the more concentrated your juice will be.

Phase 2: Pressing Frozen Grapes

This is the most challenging and time-sensitive phase. You need to work quickly to prevent the grapes from thawing.

Preparation

Pressing Process

  1. Transfer frozen grapes directly to your press or straining bag
  2. Work quickly—don't let them thaw
  3. Apply gentle, gradual pressure
  4. Collect the concentrated drippings
  5. Increase pressure slightly if needed
  6. Stop before you start extracting harsh flavors from seeds

What You'll Collect

The juice you collect will be thick, syrupy, and incredibly sweet. Expect Brix readings of 30-40°—sometimes even higher. This is normal and expected.

Phase 3: Fermentation

Fermenting ice wine juice presents unique challenges.

Yeast Selection

You'll need yeast that can tolerate:

Look for yeast strains marketed for ice wine, late harvest wines, or high-alcohol wines. Lalvin EC-1118 and Red Star CĂ´te des Blancs are good choices.

Nutrient Requirements

Ice wine juice is nutrient-poor—the freezing process doesn't concentrate nutrients. Add generous amounts of yeast nutrient to ensure healthy fermentation.

Fermentation Process

  1. Measure Brix—expect 30-40°
  2. Add sulfites at low levels (25-30 ppm—less than normal)
  3. Add yeast nutrient
  4. Rehydrate and pitch yeast
  5. Ferment at cool temperatures (55-60°F / 13-15°C)
  6. Expect slow fermentation—this is normal

When to Stop

Unlike regular wines where you ferment to dryness, ice wine style wines are typically stopped while still sweet. Options include:

Your goal is residual sweetness that balances the high acidity—typically 5-15% residual sugar for ice wine style.

⏰ Fermentation Takes Time

Ice wine fermentation can take months—sometimes up to 6 months or more. This is normal. The slow, cool fermentation contributes to the wine's complex character. Don't rush it.

Phase 4: Aging and Bottling

Aging

Stabilization

  1. Ensure fermentation is truly stopped
  2. Add sulfites to protect the sweetness
  3. Wait for complete clarity
  4. Consider cold stabilization if needed

Bottling

  1. Use clean, sterile bottles
  2. Select medium-length corks
  3. Store bottles horizontally
  4. Keep in cool, dark storage

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Fermentation Won't Start

Problem: Your yeast isn't fermenting the high-Brix juice.

Solution: Make a starter culture. Rehydrate yeast in a small amount of juice diluted with water, then gradually increase concentration over several days.

Stuck Fermentation

Problem: Fermentation stops before reaching desired sweetness.

Solution: Warm the wine slightly (60-65°F), add nutrients, and consider adding fresh yeast. Alternatively, accept the current sweetness level and stabilize.

Oxidation

Problem: Wine tastes browned or flat.

Solution: Minimize headspace, keep containers topped full, add sulfites, and work quickly during transfers.

Not Concentrated Enough

Problem: Brix is lower than expected after pressing.

Solution: Freeze longer or at lower temperatures. Consider freezing and pressing twice for extreme concentration.

Serving and Enjoying

Ice wine style wines are special occasions. Serve them:

A little goes a long way—these are intensely sweet, concentrated wines meant to be savored slowly.

Conclusion

Making ice wine style at home is one of the most rewarding projects a home winemaker can undertake. While it requires patience (the process can take a year or more), the result is a genuinely special wine that rivals commercial products costing five times as much.

The keys to success are: starting with excellent grapes, freezing thoroughly, pressing while frozen, and having patience during fermentation and aging. Follow these guidelines, and you'll be rewarded with liquid gold.

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