Riesling Wine
Riesling is an intense and aromatic white wine variety that is the leading grape of its native Germany. Exceptionally sensitive to its terroir, it is highly prized for conveying a sense of place in its wines. Due to its naturally high acidity, full range of citrus flavors and ability to age gracefully for decades, Riesling is regarded as one of the finest white wines in the world.
Varietal Riesling wines are the norm, in part because Riesling is so expressive of its origins, but also because it has every attribute required to stand alone as a noble wine. Riesling is interesting in that it is quite capable of producing excellent wines in every category of the sweetness spectrum. From razor-sharp and bone-dry wines, right through to lusciously sweet and textural Trockenbeerenauslese, Riesling performs at every level.
Since Riesling can be produced in such a range of styles, the tastes associated with it are equally diverse. Balance is the key in all wines and this is an aspect that good Riesling producers excel at. When grown in cool climates, Riesling has the ability to reach levels of acidity that can match any degree of sweetness. Even the most honeyed and botrytis-affected sweet wines can taste fresh, and even the most mouth-puckering dry wines can show delicate floral notes of lime blossom and perfume.
A handful of blended Riesling wines do exist, particularly in northern Italy, Australia and New Zealand, however these are fairly uncommon. Sparkling wine too can make use of Riesling’s generous acidity, and these cuvees are typically floral with a touch of sweetness. The preferred method of vinification is generally fermentation and ageing in stainless steel to retain Riesling’s characteristic freshness, though some producers (notably in Alsace) favor maturation in oak barrels to coax out the spiciness the variety is capable of displaying.
Riesling has a particularly torrid history, fraught with European wars that saw prime Riesling regions damaged and exchanged between nations. At one point the great German Rieslings commanded higher prices than the top Bordeaux chateaux, but this reputation was all but destroyed by the waves of sweet, insipid wine that came out of Germany in the mid to late 20th century. Sadly, Riesling was caught in the crossfire, as even though very little Riesling was used in the production of Germany’s bulk wines from the 1970s, the grape’s links with the country were so strong that its reputation was damaged by association.
Riesling's traditional homes are the regions that trace the middle Rhine and the lower Mosel. This essentially equates to the key wine regions of Germany, most famously the Mosel, Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Pfalz. Riesling vines cover the steep, slate-rich hillsides above these famous rivers and are used to make crisp, long-lived and refreshingly acidic wines.
On the other side of the Rhine is Alsace, once German but now part of France. Here, Riesling is the most important grape variety in terms of both quantity and (arguably) quality. Alsace Riesling has its own individual style, which is richer and more generous than that made in Germany. This is made possible by the region's sunny, dry mesoclimate and the shelter provided by the Vosges mountains.
Austria also produces a large quantity of Riesling, especially from its eastern Wachau and Kremstal regions. This is predominantly made in drier styles, although Lake Neusiedl, just south-east of Vienna, creates a sufficiently humid climate for the production of sweet botrytized Riesling.
Riesling has found several New World niches to which it is very well suited. Australia's Clare and Eden valleys in particular have proved that the variety can do well outside of Europe. Most notably, Clare Valley Riesling has emerged as a style in its own right, with crisp, citrus-scented acidity and aromas of toast and honeysuckle.
New Zealand is also making high-quality Riesling in both the North and South Islands, and South Africa's Riesling shows promise, too. The famous ice wines of Canada are made mostly from Riesling or Vidal, which further illustrates how cold-resistant the hard-wooded variety is.
Riesling is an ancient and influential grape variety so it is not surprising that many grapes have been misidentified and even misnamed in Riesling’s likeness. Welschriesling, Okanagan Riesling and Cape Riesling are just three examples of unrelated grapes erroneously named after Riesling.
Popular blends include: Gewurztraminer - Riesling
Synonyms include: Johannisberg Riesling
Related grape varieties include: Rieslaner, Emerald Riesling, Goldriesling
Food and wine matching suggestions:
Europe: Quiche Lorraine; zwiebelkuchen (onion cake) (dry and off-dry); caramel parfait with apple poached in cinnamon (sweet)
Asia: Yellowfin tuna sashimi (dry); Thai green curry (dry and off-dry); mango and vanilla rice pudding (sweet)
Americas: Peach-glazed pork chops (dry and off-dry); key lime pie (sweet)
Australasia/Oceania: Seared scallops with fennel salad (dry and off-dry); poached pear with a lime sorbet (off-dry and sweet)
Africa/Middle East: Grilled garlic chicken and figs with tahini sauce (dry and off-dry); lemon and honey semolina cake (basboosa) (sweet)
