The Unique Winemaking Technique Celine Dion's Wine Brand Uses

As a musical icon for more than 40 years, Celine Dion has won over the hearts of millions with her vocal talent and performances. The "My Heart Will Go On" singer has ventured beyond the stage, too, and dabbled in winemaking with a couple of wineries. One of these partnerships — with Diamond Estates in Ontario, Canada — produces the Celine Dion Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine, which uses a wine making technique that needs frozen grapes instead of fresh.

You might already know that grapes are one of the best fruits to freeze. However, ice wine (or Eiswein) doesn't involve freezing the grapes after picking them from the vine. Instead, the grapes are left on the vine through the first frost, allowing them to freeze naturally. It's actually required that the grapes be naturally frozen in order for a wine to be considered a true ice wine. Otherwise, the wine may be labeled "dessert wine" or "iced wine."

As a result, the grapes for ice wine aren't harvested until the middle of winter, after they've completely frozen at around 20 degrees Fahrenheit – unlike the usual late-summer-to-fall grape harvest for most wines. Immediately after the harvest, the frozen grapes are pressed to extract 10% to 20% of their juices, which can take up to six months to ferment.

Aside from using naturally frozen grapes on the vine, there's a reason the practice of making ice wine has continued since it started accidentally in late 18th-century Germany after a sudden frost. The winemakers were in a scramble to save what they could of the harvest, and when they tasted the fruit to see if it was still good, they were shocked at the intense natural flavor and sweetness. After that, ice wine making became part of German viniculture as the winemakers purposely let their crop freeze. The winemaking technique eventually made its way to North America in the late 1970s.

Naturally frozen grapes taste sweeter than fresh because the freezing process reduces the amount of water inside the fruit while making the sugar content and other solids more concentrated. On top of that, the freeze-thaw pattern of cold climates intensifies the acids, flavors, and sugars — all of which contribute to the rich, balanced taste. The Celine Dion Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine, for instance, has a medium-to-bold flavor profile with equally high sweetness and acidity for the perfect balance.

What you should keep in mind when serving ice wine, though, is that it's best chilled to between 50 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit, which only requires refrigeration for an hour or two beforehand. That's because colder temperatures will tone down the flavor. Additionally, Erin Henderson, certified sommelier and founder of the wine events company The Wine Sisters, told Daily Meal that ice wine pairs well with many desserts depending on the variety. In a nutshell, reds complement most chocolates and desserts with warm flavors, while whites complement fruity desserts with bright, tart profiles.