Speciality Wines Chateau Chantal

1 speciality wines

1.1 ice wine
1.2 fruit wines

1.2.1 entice
1.2.2 cerise

speciality wines
ice wine

on years when weather permits chantal preserves portion of riesling grapes harvested after first hard freeze. ice wine first produced in michigan in 1983 mark johnson, working @ chateau grand traverse @ time. chantal continues follow german laws govern wine qualifies ice wine. german wine law similar united states wine law , both dictate ice wine must picked when grapes frozen on vine. because of impossibility of predicting nature, making ice wine requires great deal of luck. grapes picked in december after prolonged below freezing temperatures, ensure frozen way through. on warmer years grapes cannot picked until late january or february. can difficult protect grapes birds , wind stay on vine until after ripe. leaving grapes on vine until first hard freeze ensures grapes have reached full ripeness while ice captures excess water leaving naturally concentrated sugars. ice wine referred liquid gold because of high cost make , purchase , because of wine s intense sweetness.

the high cost of producing ice wine causes generate little profit winery. when asked why chantal still makes year after year johnson replied ice wine bring home medal or two. think natural ice wine incredibly special, , s quite rare. , because can t in california.

fruit wines
entice

entice blend of chantal s ice wine , barrel aged grape brandy, making white port.

cerise

cerise blend of distilled whole tart cherries , chantal s cherry wine.