Our Fiori delle Stelle ice wines are the most awarded ice wines in the country!
Each February, Casa Larga invites other traditional producers of ice wine from across New York State to the New York Ice Wine & Culinary Festival.
Casa Larga is deeply rooted in heritage and tradition. In staying true to these roots, we produce Ice Wine using the traditional, authentic methods of the German Eiswein technique. This ensures that our Ice Wine is a very sweet and full-bodied dessert wine.
Casa Larga Ice Wine Production:
- Grapes are left on the vine through the standard harvest season.
The grapes are left on the vine past harvest and into the frigid time of winter to reach maturity. They are harvested typically in late December or early January when the temperature drops below freezing - typically around 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The vines are not thinned, helping to maintain the high acidity. The risk involved with producing Ice Wine is high. The longer the grapes stay on the vine, the more prone they are to being damaged or consumed by animals. Weather also plays an important role in producing Ice Wine. Due to the concentration of fruit sugars, it takes a large amount of acreage to produce a small amount of Ice Wine.
- In early October, the vines are covered with a net to deter birds from feasting on the grapes
- Grapes are harvested when the grapes are frozen, typically around 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
The grapes are picked by hand and pressed using a hydraulic press. The syrupy juice trickles down the sides of the press and is gently delivered to a fermentation tank. This yields an extremely concentrated nectar that produces a sweet juice.
- Cool fermentation is required to maintain a bright nose and beautiful aroma.
