Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival kicks off

The polar vortex recovery will be celebrated at Ice Wine Festival

A sense of celebration will infuse the festival, which gets underway March 4 for the first of three Saturdays.

A sense of celebration will infuse the annual Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival, which gets underway March 4 for the first of three Saturdays in March.

That’s because this year’s harvest likely will prove to be the best in years — a recovery from the devastation wrought by the 2014 polar vortex, when frigid temperatures destroyed many of the grape vines.

Five wineries — all within a 10-minute drive of one another — host a progressive tasting of their ice wines, providing a glass along with an appetizer in a noon to 5 p.m. time frame. Each also will showcase something extra — from artisans to ice carving and dog sledding. Cost of the tasting is $6 per person, a price that’s discounted by $1 for those who bring a canned food item for the local food bank.

Participating in the Ice Wine Festival are Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Grand River Cellars and Winery, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards.

Two of those wineries, along with South River Vineyards — across the line into Ashtabula — are collaborating on a progressive dinner, called Winter Glow, hosted the Friday before each festival Saturday. The dinners begin at 6:30 p.m. on March 3, March 10 and March 17 with appetizers at Grand River Cellars in Madison. For their entree, diners proceed to Debonne Vineyards, also in Madison. Then it’s on to South River Vineyards for dessert. Each week’s meal varies, so some area wine lovers will go to all three Winter Glow Fridays.

Winemakers choose the wines served with dinner, pairing them with foods served. The price is $49.50 per person, and paid, nonrefundable reservations are needed at 440466-3485.

Gene Sigal, vineyard manager for both Debonne and Grand River Valley vineyards, explained why a sense of celebration will infuse this year’s festival.

“The quality of the 2016 ice wine was a product of the record warm fall into November,” Sigel said. “The leaves stayed on the vines longer than normal, and, once they fell, conditions continued to be warm, increasing the sugars in the grapes and encouraging their dehydration.”

To be harvested for ice wine, the grapes must freeze at 17 degrees or less. They’re plucked by hand from vines that have been wrapped in mesh to protect

them from birds, then rushed to the winery, where they are pressed while still frozen.

The Ice Wine Festival comes at a time when the workload at the wineries is relatively easy, so winemakers have the time to talk with those who come to taste.

Although Vidal Blanc grapes are universal to those in Northeast Ohio making ice wines, learn how some vintners are getting creative with their juice. Laurello, for instance, makes a Simple Mad Hab Ice

Wine by placing dried habanero peppers in cheesecloth and soaking them in ice wine for about five days. The peppers, now rehydrated with ice wine, are taken to Mayfield Creamery, where they are made into the Simply Mad Havarti cheese, which then goes back to Laurello. And this year Grand River Cellars worked with maple producer Jeff Kline to create a maple-infused ice wine.

For details about the 13th annual Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival call 400-4663485 or visit www.wggrv.com.

SUBMITTED Shown are the ice wines produced by Grand River Valley wineries in 2010. Most design new bottles each year.