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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Ice wine makers across the Northeast and Canada are in dire straits because of this winter's mild weather, and some fear there will be no product at all if January doesn't bring icy temperatures.
The sweet, dessert-style drink cannot be called "ice wine" unless the grapes used to make it are harvested and pressed while frozen, according to federal regulations. Stricter Canadian standards that many growers follow call for temperatures below 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
"We can't pick 'em and then freeze 'em," said Bob Mazza, owner and president of Mazza Vineyards in North East, Pa. "If we don't produce anything this year, we won't have anything to sell (next year)."
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