Riesling
Not all Rieslings are sweet! One of the noble grape varieties, Riesling is an extremely versatile aromatic white grape.
Riesling can range from bone dry to lusciously sweet, and is highly influenced by climate and winemaking practices. It thrives in cool to moderate climates, and depending on where it’s grown flavours can range from citrus and greens fruits through stone fruits, all the way to tropical fruits. Because it’s an aromatic white variety, Riesling is rarely oaked. For the most part, it’s fermented and/or aged in an inert vessel – likely stainless steel or concrete. Riesling is typically made as a single varietal wine where the focus is on its primary flavours. It’s usually enjoyed young, but with that said, its high acidity lends itself well to ageing.
The Riesling grape is susceptible to botrytis (noble rot). If they are affected with botrytis, they’re likely used to make sweeter iterations of the wine. The fact that these grapes do incredibly well in climates that have a high diurnal range (temperature difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows) means that the grape ripens slowly over a long period of time making Riesling a great choice for late harvest wines.
You can’t talk about Riesling without talking about Germany, the home of this noble variety. In Germany, you’ll find a plethora of Rieslings to indulge in – but if you’re after a dry version of the wine, just look for Grosses Gewächs (GG) on the label. If you’re interested in learning more about Germany, I dive more into the nuances of the country’s Riesling’s here.
Riesling – Clarified:
Grape: Aromatic white variety
Climate: Cool to Moderate
Acidity: High
Body: Light to Medium
Intensity: Medium to High
Nose: Depending on climate, flavours will range from green fruits (lime, apple, pear) to stone fruits (peaches, apricots) to tropical fruits (pineapple, passion fruit); Florals like rose and jasmine; Petroleum (if aged)
Pair with: Indian and Thai curries (Riesling is great for spicy foods!), Mexican flavours like jalapeño, tomatillo and cilantro, Sheep cheese, Salads with a vinegar based dressings
Best examples can be found in:
Mosel, Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Pflaz, Germany
Alsace, France
Clare Valley and Eden Valley, Australia
Finger Lakes, New York
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario