French Valley Vineyard Hosts Ice Wine Picking Event
Cedar, MI - French Valley Vineyard, located at 3655 South French Road in Cedar, Michigan, is excited to announce that on January 31st at 10am, we will be hosting an ice wine picking event for the public. During the event, attendees will have the unique opportunity to join Vineyard Manager Tomas Moreno and Senior Winemaker Blake Lougheed in the harvest of riesling grapes for ice wine production.
Ice wine is a unique and exclusive type of wine that is made from grapes that have been frozen on the vine. The process of freezing the grapes concentrates the natural sugars and flavors, resulting in a sweet and complex wine that is highly sought after. Ice wine is typically picked at temperatures of -8°C (17.6°F) or lower. When the grapes are pressed, only a small amount of concentrated juice is extracted, which is then fermented to make ice wine. The low juice to skins ratio, weather variability and more challenging picking conditions all contribute to the higher cost associated with ice wine production.
“We’re picking later this year because it’s been a warmer than usual winter. The coming cold front will provide the drop in temperature required to properly harvest the grapes and since we only harvest grapes for ice wine every few years, our crew is looking forward to it. It’s a fun day.” - Senior Winemaker Blake Lougheed
As a special thank you to all those who assist in the harvest, lunch will be provided at The French Valley Tasting Room. This event is open to the public and we encourage anyone interested in learning more about ice wine production to join us. To sign up, email info@fvvineyard.com
For more information about French Valley Vineyard and our upcoming events, please visit our website or contact us at 231.228.2616 | info@fvvineyard.com
About French Valley
At French Valley Vineyard, we take great pride in our craft and are dedicated to producing high-quality, handcrafted wines that are true to their varietals. Our winemaking philosophy is simple: we let the grapes speak for themselves. We use traditional winemaking techniques and minimal intervention to allow the unique characteristics of each varietal to shine through in our estate-grown wines.
We have a wide variety of wines to choose from, including dry and sweet whites, dry and sweet reds and sparkling wines. Our wines are made from a variety of grapes, including Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Marquette.
In addition to our wines, French Valley Vineyard offers a unique tasting experience in our newly renovated tasting room, where you can sample our wines and enjoy the beautiful views of our vineyard. We also host a variety of events throughout the year, including wine tastings, live music, and food and wine pairings.