Hainle Vineyards and the Rise of Ice Wine

✍️ By Debbie Balfour | WBN News | June 8, 2025 | Click HERE for your FREE Subscription to WBN News and/or to be a Contributor.

Tucked into the sun-drenched slopes above Okanagan Lake, Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery in Peachland is producing some of the most sought-after dessert wines in British Columbia—and the story behind it is as rich as the flavor in every bottle.

Ice wine, or Eiswein, traces its origins to 18th-century Germany, where winemakers discovered that grapes harvested while frozen yielded a remarkably concentrated, sweet nectar. This Old World method found a perfect home in Peachland’s climate—hot summers to ripen the grapes, followed by sudden winter frosts that make the harvest window extremely short, but magical.

Hainle Vineyards, founded in the early 1970s, holds the distinction of producing Canada’s first certified organic ice wine in 1978. A true pioneer in both the organic and ice wine movements, Hainle combined European winemaking traditions with Peachland’s unique microclimate, thanks to the moderating effect of the lake and the cool night temperatures.

Harvested at temperatures below -8°C, each frozen grape is handpicked and immediately pressed to capture its concentrated essence. The yield is tiny—a single vine may produce just a glass or two—but the result is a complex wine rich in honey, apricot, citrus, and tropical fruit notes.

This rare and labor-intensive process has turned Hainle into a tourism magnet, drawing wine lovers from across North America. Tastings, winter tours, and limited bottle releases create a sense of exclusivity, and investors have taken notice.

With wine tourism booming and demand for niche, premium products on the rise, Peachland’s ice wine isn’t just a sweet indulgence—it’s a liquid asset. Whether you’re sipping or investing, there’s gold in those frozen grapes.

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