Just the other day I had someone ask me about a pairing with Asian cuisine and my knee-jerk response was Riesling. The person responded by saying, “I don’t like sweet wine.” I have heard this statement about Riesling before. I knew, at that moment, I had to come to the defense of this often misunderstood variety.
Riesling, one of the “noble” varieties, has lost favor with the masses over the last 10-15 years. This is largely in part due to the over production of inexpensive, over chaptalized (added sugar), mass marketed, bulk, quaffable swill. I know that sounds harsh, but it is what it is. The wine marketing was focused toward the “soda-pop generation” that they assumed were looking for a sweet alcoholic beverage to swig down at gatherings. Partly, this was true and they sold a lot of wine.
Along the way, however, the true essence of Riesling was almost lost. The better quality wines were still being made, but the American mass market was not embracing them. At the time, people were drinking big, rich, over-the-top California Cabs, and Riesling was looked at as a “weaker” wine. I think this stated weakness is really its strength, namely its subtly and restraint.
Now, years later, something has changed. Whether it was the American wine drinker finally evolved or marketing got smarter, the Riesling grape is again attempting to gain a place among the American wine drinkers. With its low alcohol (usually in the range of 7.5 – 9% for German Rieslings due to cold climate) and age ability in bottle (due to good extract and high acidity), they have the potential to fill the needs of many wine drinking situations.
When we say “Riesling”, most will think of Germany, which makes sense since it has been cultivated, consumed and made popular here for centuries. Riesling’s cold hardiness is suited for the German climate and with its naturally high tartaric acid; any residual sugar is balanced with finesse. This versatile grape can be made dry (low residual sugar), sweet, botrytis affected (noble rot), made sparkling, (Sekt), or harvested as frozen berries for Eiswein.
Often when we think of Riesling, Germany is the first country that comes to mind. This varietal has, quite ubiquitously, made its way over every continent that makes wine. In Alsace, France, once part of Germany, there are some amazing examples of Riesling. Alsatian Riesling has a tendency to be mostly dry but there are some excellent examples of sweeter Riesling. Label terms such as, “Vendange Tardive” (meaning “Late Harvest”) and “Sélection De Graines Nobeles” (meaning “Selection of Nobly Rotten Grapes”) tell us of these sweeter examples containing alcohol levels of 14% and 16% respectively. In Luxembourg, just across the German Border, we see a Riesling closer to Alsace style than German style. There are also examples in the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy (Alto Adige and Friuli), Switzerland, Slovakia, and all over Eastern Europe.
Riesling has also crossed the ocean from Europe in both directions. New Zealand is beginning to show promising examples in Marlborough and Nelson. On the other side of the world, in the southern hemisphere, Chile and Argentina are taking a crack at Riesling cultivation. Further north Riesling has found a home in Canada, New York State, Washington State and some in California.
With all of these areas and different styles, how does one make a decision on what to buy? Knowing some label terms will greatly improve your chance for success. First, is recognizing what is true Riesling and what is not. Some label terms for “true” Riesling are Rhineriesling (Austria), Johannisberg Riesling, Weisser, or White Rhine. While bottle terms like Welschriesling, Riesling Italico, Laski Riesling, and Olasz Riesling are NOT true Riesling.
Another helpful set of label terms are those associated with the level of sweetness. The following are some German bottle terms that will help make your wine selections a bit easier. They are in increasing order of must weights (sugar concentration of grapes at harvest). The term Troken (meaning dry) can be placed after these descriptions to let us know the wine has been fermented to dryness. Remember, that a grape with higher sugar, fermented to dryness, will have a higher alcohol percentage.
German Bottle Terms:
Kabinett
- Great as aperitifs
- Light in body, crisp acidity, green apple and citrus fruits
Spatlese
- Means late harvest
- More concentrated flavors and more body vs. Kabinett style
- Riper flavors: more citrus, pineapple, and/or mango
Auslese
- Means selected harvest
- Made from individually selected ripe berries
- Some made as a richer, riper Spatlese
- Some made very sweet with botrytis character
- Good value for botrytis wine (compared to Beerenauslese and Trokenbeerenauslese)
Eiswein
- Literally means ice-wine
- Made from grapes left on the vine until the temperature reaches 18F (-8C)
- Harvested sometimes as late as January
- Grapes pressed and frozen water removed leaving concentrated sweet juice
- Sugar content must be at least equal to Beerenauslese (usually no botrytis)
- Concentrated fruit and high acidity
Beerenauslese (BA)
- More rare and expensive wine made for hand selected grapes
- Grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis)
- Not permitted to be harvested mechanically
- Deep golden color and taste of honey soaked rasins
Trokenbeerenauslese (TBA)
- The ripest and rarest
- Produced in minute quantities in only the best vintages
- Grapes individually selected (botrytis affected)
- Not allowed to be harvested mechanically
- Deep golden orange in color
- Very expensive
I hope that you now have a greater appreciation for this misunderstood and richly versatile variety. So, if you like sweet wine or dry wine, sparkling or still, Riesling has something special to offer you. Get out to the store and start exploring the underappreciated world of Riesling.
Cheers!
Masters of Wine
Wine and Spirits Education Trust
Excellent Article! Thank you!!