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A familiar face to Peachlanders was enjoying the recent Okanagan deep freeze in Summerland.

Former Hainle Winery owner and winemaker Tilman Hainle was supervising the picking of grapes at a Summerland vineyard to make icewine for The Rise Cellars in Vernon.

As temperatures first plummeted to around -10 C, it was clear the next few days would be more than cold enough for the crew of about 20 to pick, crush and press the roughly 10 tonnes of riesling, muscat and kerner grapes The Rise had set aside for icewine at the Summerland vineyard.

The grapes were being pressed out at a custom winemaking facility in Summerland, under Hainle's supervision.

"We knew something special was happening when Tilman was practically giddy about the prospect of being knee deep in snow, with -10 C temperatures and picking grapes," said Leona Snider, president and CEO of The Rise Cellars.

Said Hainle: "The Rise Cellars 2006 riesling icewine has the potential of being one of the best examples of Canadian icewine - fruity, rich, complex and balanced. With that amount of intensity it will last for many years. I'm really looking forward to seeing this wine evolve."

Tilman and his father, Walter, made North America's first official icewine in 1978, when Walter quickly realized Okanagan's climate was ideal for this specialty. The Hainle family have been making icewine in the Okanagan Valley ever since.

Icewine, the most famous of Canada's wines, was first made in Germany in the late 18th century, but could only be made once or twice a decade there, due to the milder winters.