Wine Education Wednesdays: An Introduction to Riesling
As today is International Riesling Day – we thought this week’s Wine Education post should focus on this wonderful white grape variety.
Pronounced “Reessling”, this variety is best known for producing some of the finest wines in Germany (almost a quarter of all German wine is made from Riesling), and also has notable plantings in France’s Alsace region, Austria, Australia, the USA, and New Zealand.
An aromatic variety which shows aromas of lemon, lime, green apple, peach, and often jasmine and honeysuckle, Riesling’s most distinct aroma is petrol – but you tend to only find this on older vintages. Because of these aromatics, winemakers tend not to barrel age Riesling wines – so if you are not a fan of oaked whites, Riesling is a reliable choice!
Riesling is a hugely versatile grape that can be produced in a range of styles – from bone-dry to lusciously sweet. Below is a list of words you may come across when choosing a bottle that indicate the levels of sweetness in German Riesling:
- Trocken – this literally means ‘dry’, these wines have no level of sweetness.
- Spätlese – meaning ‘late harvest’, these wines tend to have more body and concentration and can range from dry (spätlese trocken) to medium-sweet.
- Auslese – grapes are selected from only very ripe bunches, resulting in much richer and riper wines that range from dry to sweet.
- Beerenauslese – these wines are rare and sweet and often produced with botrytised grapes.
- Trockenbeerenauslese – noble rot is essential to produce TBA wines, they are very rare, very expensive and very sweet.
- Eiswein – or ‘ice wine’, these grapes are frozen on the vine, concentrating the acidity and sugar levels, producing sweet wines only.
New World Rieslings are also made in a range of styles and sweetness levels, which you will generally find indicated on the bottle.
Riesling has fantastic ageing potential thanks to its naturally high acidity levels, and in many cases, the residual sugar levels found in wines of all styles. The best wines will age beautifully for several decades – it is one of the few white varieties capable of this.
Because of its versatile nature, Riesling is a brilliant food wine – the sweeter styles pairing wonderfully with spicy Asian cuisine, whilst the lighter, drier styles with their racing acidity are a great match for fatty, rich foods.
Riesling offers so much and is adored by wine enthusiasts the world over – not least for its aromatic complexity, racing acidity, and its ability to beautifully reflect the terroir, but also for its ageing potential. A noble grape completely deserving of its own International Day of Celebration! Cheers to Riesling.
