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"cold wisdom"? Correspondent Morten Peters gives a better explanation!:

"-the allusion may be intended by Pynchon, but originally this is just the German traditional agricolan term for the last day of the "eisheiligen", which are normally the last days in the year that can be really cold."

:"The days of the three "ice-men" (May 12, 13 and 14) are followed by the day of Sophia, 15 May, called "the cold Sophia" because it is considered to be the conclusion of the cold days in May. The "ice-saints" are believed to be the end of the winter period; they represent a period when, in high spring, it can get quite cold and sometimes snow may fall. It is a dangerous time for peasants since the cold period can endanger or even destroy the harvest. In 1945, these days have passed without damaging the wine grapes. We have the same tradition in Slovenia, the popular name for the "kalte Sophie" is "polulana Zofka" which means the "wet" or "peed Sophy" (since it usually rains on that day)."

Considering the unusual point of view as represented in the very first sentence("We are"), this may be a topical reference to May 1968 and the following Big Chill. The seemingly redundant interjection "this year" in the next sentence then signifies a shift back to narrative time. In Germany the only great vintage between the period of revolts and the publication of ''Gravity's Rainbow'' belongs to the year [http://www.thewinecurators.com/vntgChart.html 1971].

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