Riesling is a white grape that has been unfairly demonized due to the use of its name for lower quality grape varieties and the mass-market distribution of overly sweet German Rieslings. True Riesling is a noble white wine with the potential to age and develop into a Bordeaux-level specimen. It has a fruity flavor with acidity and can take on the unique flavors of its environment. Riesling is sensitive to botrytis noble rot and is used to produce sweet dessert wines. It prefers colder climates and is grown in various regions worldwide. Its popularity is on the rise in the US as people discover its exceptional qualities.
Riesling is a white grape used in the production of white wine worldwide. Like the somewhat similar Gewurztraminer, Riesling is considered a great starter wine for those interested in developing their palettes or enjoying white wine. Riesling has, more than any other wine, earned an undeserved negative reputation. In the opinion of many connoisseurs, it is among the finest of the white grape, yet in the minds of many it is demonized as a dull, sickly wine of little or no character.
This sad turn of events can be traced directly to two main causes. First and foremost, the name Riesling has been used to label a number of other grape varieties, all of which are much lower in quality than Riesling itself. These include the grapes known as Welschriesling, Laski Rizling, Clare Rieslin, Lustomer Riesling and so numerous others that they cannot all be mentioned. This drift of the name has led many wine drinkers to horrific experiences with a wine which they then label in their memory as Riesling – attaching these understandably negative feelings to the innocent Johannisberg Riesling. Secondly, until recently the majority of exported Rieslings came from Germany, and most of these were overly sweet, rather vague offerings intended for mass-market distribution rather than showcasing the virtues of this exceptional grape. .
True Riesling, however, is the joy of a white wine. More than almost any other white wine, it has the potential to age for extended periods of time and develop into a truly noble specimen – on par with a Bordeaux red. Riesling, like Gewurztraminer, has an exceptional ability to take the distinctive flavors of its local environment and time and transfer them to the drinker through the wine. This communication of terroir is one of the crucial elements of large wine production, and Riesling’s ability to do this with relatively little coax is a huge boon for the grape.
Rieslings most often have a fruity flavor with a good amount of acidity and the occasional metallic overtone. Over time, the fruit drifts away a bit with the sweetness of the wine, leaving a bitter wine. Towards the end of its life, Riesling begins to take on an aroma of light kerosene and mineral flourishes. Riesling is one of those white grapes, sensitive to botrytis noble rot, used to produce the extremely sweet dessert wines which are a hot item in some circles. In fact, Riesling was the grape with which botrytis was first discovered in the late 18th century, and these late-harvest Rieslings are often among the most expensive of the bunch.
Riesling prefers colder climates, hence its popularity in Germany and the Alsace region of France. It is also grown in parts of California, the Eden and Clare Valleys of Australia, and small parts of South Africa and New Zealand. While Riesling still has some of the slander to clear, it appears its popularity is on the rise again in the United States, and more and more people are starting to realize that this grape isn’t just meant to make dessert wines. , but give life to truly exceptional white wines worthy of comparison with one of the greats.
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