|
Riesling is an aromatic white grape variety of German origin which is, if the majority of the world's top wine critics are to be believed, the finest white wine variety on Earth.
For many, the claim may seem at odds with the sea of chaptalized, low-quality wine exported from Germany in the late 20th century. In fact, very little of that wine was Riesling at all, but the reputation has nonetheless stuck. No less unshakeable a stereotype is of Riesling as just a 'sweet' grape, used only to make sticky wines. Although based on a grain of truth (sweet Rieslings are among the finest in the world), this stereotype blindly ignores the fact that most Riesling is either dry or off-dry, and is behind some of the finest, most age-worthy cuvees that money can buy.
The Riesling vine holds a very different place in the wine world to such great grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay, and even Sauvignon Blanc, another aromatic variety which excels in cool climates. While these grapes make globally popular wines and have conquered every corner of the winegrowing world, Riesling has a more exclusive fan base, and is conspicuous by its absence in the core vineyards of France, Spain and Italy.
Riesling's home is unquestionably the regions which trace the middle Rhine and the lower Mosel, two of Europe's great wine rivers. This essentially equates to the key wine regions of Germany, most famously the Mosel, Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Pfalz. Here Riesling vines cover the steep, slate-rich hillsides above these famous rivers and are used to make crisp, refreshingly acidic wines, typically rather restrained in style. On the other side of the Rhine, however, 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, richer and more generous than those 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, most notably from its eastern Wachau and Kremstal regions. This is made mostly in drier styles, although Lake Neusiedl, just south-east of Vienna, creates a sufficiently humid climate for the production of sweet botrytized Riesling.
Happily, this Germanic grape has found several New World niches to which it is very well suited. The quality Rieslings now emerging from Australia's Clare and Eden valleys in particular have proved that the variety can do well outside 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. Just across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand is also making high quality Riesling in almost all of its South Island regions, while South Africa's Riesling is also showing promise. The famous ice wines of Canada are made mostly from Riesling or Vidal, and have further reinforced how cold-resistant the hard-wooded variety is.
There are various clones and sub-varieties of Riesling in existence, but, thanks to the variety's genetic stability, the variation between them is minimal. This is highlighted through comparison with the Pinot family, whose Gris and Blanc variants are both mutations of Pinot Noir. There are various other 'Riesling' varieties planted around the world, which are in fact entirely unrelated to true Riesling, whose few synonyms include Rhine Riesling and Johannisberg Riesling. Welschriesling (also known as Riesling Italico and Laski Riesling) is the most notable, followed by Cape Riesling, Paarl Riesling and Clare Riesling, all of which are in fact Crouchen.
|
