Many people I speak with dismiss Riesling because they believe it is too sweet, or off dry. While there are certainly expressions of the grape that have more body and sweetness with ripe fruit flavors, not all come in that style.
Riesling, whether it is from Alsace, Austria, Australia or Germany, is a very aromatic grape, and due to its high natural acidity and low alcohol – usually between 7% and 11% – it produces an ideal wine for food pairing.
The bone dry Rieslings out of Alsace, Austria, the Finger Lake region in upstate New York and Eden Valley Australia have floral characteristics and minerality that pair nicely with fish dishes, including Japanese food and sushi, as well as vegetable dishes.
Yet, Germany probably accounts for the most diverse expressions of the grape and is the most vast producer of Riesling. Here the styles are broken down and categorized by body and sweetness, beginning with Kabinett, which are lightest in body and most dry, with crisp acidity and green apple and citrus fruit. Make sure that if you are looking for a completely dry wine that “trocken” appears after the Kabinett on the label, however; otherwise there will be some residual sugar detected.
The degrees of body and sweetness in German Riesling intensify as the styles move along the trajectory of Spatlese, Auslese Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. Spatlese and Auslese, while made with ripe grapes and therefore taste quite sweet, can be perfect accompaniments to Szechuan, Hunan, and Cantonese cuisine.
One of the most impressive wine lists in New York City that I’ve come across for its Riesling inclusion is Hearth. The list is extensive, with a few pages devoted to the numerous expressions of the grape.
Wine shops are also stocking their shelves with more bottles of the juice. Though aged Rieslings will command a higher price tag, many of the 2007 and 2008 vintage will fall into the under-$20 category.
Let go of any preconceived thoughts you might have had and instead associate these words with Riesling: Diverse, ubiquitous, affordable, and delicious.
Very interesting posting. But German Kabinett, Spaetlese and Auslese can be sweet or bone dry, depending on what the wine maker wants. To make the wine sweet, an additional effort is required, either stopping the fermentation or adding sterilized juice. See more here.
http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2010/01/german-wine-basics-sugar-in-grape.html
Thanks.
Schiller Wine
Thanks for your comment, Christian. As the post says, many people automatically assume Riesling is a sweet wine, but as you point out, much depends upon vinification practices.
[…] wines, and it’s also one of the most misunderstood varietals. As I mentioned in a previous post, The iterations of Riesling, preconceived notions often deter people from trying new […]