Varietal Spotlight: Riesling
It’s no secret, I’m a sucker for a good Riesling, and as I’ve mentioned before, preferably from Alsace. The best thing is, Riesling is different and wonderful no matter where it’s grown, so let’s chat about why!
For starters, most wine experts consider Riesling to be the most noble and unique white grape in the world! High praise considering the other amazing white grapes we all know and love, but Riesling has the most depth and complexity. This doesn’t come without its caveats and growing issues. Riesling is very temperamental, much like Pinot Noir, and while it will grow in both cold and warmer conditions, it does its best work when it’s colder. Locations like Alsace, Germany, Austria, and even Canada/Northern New York produce some of the hardest hitting and favored Rieslings. Warmer growing areas such as Washington State or California typically produce softer, fuller, and less minerality versions. Additionally, Rieslings prefer optimal growing conditions, and the “best” vineyards, as each patch of dirt will yield a different grape (which makes Alsace vineyards so sought after).
Rieslings are usually best served after 2-3 years in the bottle, allowing for the high acidity, high extract, and lower alcohol to truly express itself. If you can stand to wait, 10 years will give you a truly amazing experience. Many Rieslings are mistaken to be too sweet, and while some truly can be made that way (i.e., late harvest), most Rieslings around the world are made dry. The misconception comes from the fruitiness of certain bottles, and that flavor is mistaken for sweetness. The International Riesling Foundation (IRF) has created a taste profile chart which you can find on most bottles, and it gives the consumer a spectrum of Dry to Sweet and displays where that wine falls on the spectrum. This is helpful for those who want to try more Rieslings but cannot be sure if a label that doesn’t specify “Dry” is indeed semi-sweet or not. For me, I prefer the whole spectrum, but my wife is very particular and prefers a bone-dry Riesling if she is going to drink one at all. The struggle continues….
So, in closing, Riesling is one of the most diverse wines depending on where it’s from, all the way down to the vineyard. Regions can have similar characteristics, but each schloss in France will produce a different expression of the grape, while in another country, you get a different wine altogether. Let me know what your preference is when it comes to Riesling and if you have a favorite bottle or region!
