Radebeul (dpa/sn) – In frosty temperatures early on Sunday morning at Radebeul’s Goldener Wagen vineyard, the grapes for ice wine from the Schloss Wackerbarth state winery were harvested. “A double sensation,” said spokesman Martin Junge. It is the second harvest of this kind in a row and also the earliest in decades. Normally, the necessary temperatures of minus seven degrees Celsius in the Elbe Valley in Saxony would not be reached until December.
According to Junge, 25 winegrowers harvested the frozen grapes still hanging on around 1000 Traminer vines within about an hour in the bitter cold, starting at 5 a.m. and within about an hour. The icy grapes were then immediately pressed by the cellar masters. “Because the freezing point of grape must is lower than that of water, it was possible to obtain a concentrated and extract-rich must,” reported Junge. First measurements showed a “good” must weight of 140 degrees Oechsle. After fermentation, the rarity coveted by wine connoisseurs must first mature for several months. Most recently, on Christmas Day 2021, Riesling grapes were harvested from around 2000 vines – at minus twelve degrees.
