LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — There is a reason for some of us to like the cold. Up in Lake County, it was finally chilly enough for an ice wine harvest.
It's something that requires patience, because these particular grapes age best when they're on the vine – and frozen before picked.
"We need to get it to 15 to 17 degrees Fahrenheit in order to freeze the water in the berries so we get this real thick, sugary syrup," explains Tony Debevc, president of Debonne Vineyards.
It's been a mild winter, but Monday was just the right time to start a batch.
Grapes are transferred up to the winery where they will be put into a basket press and the sugar will be pressed out.
The pressing process is a little different since you're pressing frozen grapes. A slower process – but of course, patience is key.
"If you look at the grapes there's grapes, some leaves, some stems," says Debevc. "All of these natural products that enhances the flavor."
At Debonne Vineyards, it's a process worth waiting for to get a unique flavor built for the end of a meal.
"Ice wine is very sweet. It's almost like dessert," says Tina Fowler, assistant manager at Debonne Vineyards.