MADISON, Ohio — Twenty one years after the first ice wine festival, things have changed a bit in the Grand River Valley wine region.

What You Need To Know

  • The ice wine festival is now held every day in March

  • Warmer winters mean fewer chances to harvest ice wine grapes

  • More time on the vines could mean better harvest

Sled dogs and ice carving used to be part of the appeal during the ice wine festival, but the weather has gotten progressively warmer in recent years.

Temperatures need to fall to 17 degrees or below and remain there for 12 hours to harvest the grapes used to make ice wine, according to Loretta Todd, director of marketing at Debonne Vineyards.  

She said this year had some wine producers on pins and needles.

“It wasn’t looking like we were going to have a freeze,” Todd said.

Typically, the grapes used for ice wine are harvested in the first three weeks of December. This year, they only had one chance to harvest, and it was on Jan. 15 and 16.

With more than 19 varieties of grapes and 160 planted acres, crews tend to the vines every day of the year.

The land has been owned by the same family since 1916.

“There’s been some shift in things, but we're still here," Debonne Vineyards Owner Tony Debevc said. "We’ve seen it every year. There’s always some kind of issue, it seems, when you’re growing grapes."

Besides the change in weather, the festival is now held every day in March as opposed to just on weekends. But if you’re seeking some excitement and entertainment, the weekends are the time to visit.

Although there are fewer chances to hit the temperatures needed, Todd said there is an upside to the longer time the grapes spend on the vines.

“Every freeze thaw, every sunny day, every rain, all contributes to the complexity,” Todd said.

“We’re waiting to see what happens," she said. "Could be one of the best ever."