Ice Wines Under the Shadow of Global Warming: Climatic Threats, Production Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies

Due to its reliance on natural grape freezing at or below −7 °C, ice wine production is limited to small areas worldwide and is very susceptible to winter warming. Using CMIP6 climate projections, ETCCDI extreme temperature indices, and the most recent analytical findings from Canadian, Chinese, and European studies, this review summarises the most recent research on the effects of accelerated winter warming and its implications for ice wine production. Evidence for this warming trend spans several levels: broad climatic context is provided by Arctic warming exceeding 0.74 °C per decade; scenario-based projections indicate that Ontario’s ice wine zone may migrate northward by as far as 6° latitude by 2099; and indirect regional proxies, such as the Sum of Active Temperatures in Central Poland, show an increase of 0.07% annually since 1975 alongside more infrequent frost events. In addition to performing regional diagnostics, the review examines the physicochemical effects of freeze–thaw cycles on volatile aroma profiles, compares natural ice wine with cryoextraction alternatives through OIV and VQA governance mechanisms, and explores adaptation strategies such as varietal repositioning, geographic shifts, and precision harvest monitoring. The main research gaps are highlighted by examining factors at the vineyard level for frost threshold modelling, as well as global authenticity markers. Ice wine is certainly one of the most prominent premium agricultural products whose long-term viability depends directly on the trajectory of global climate change.