Riesling revisited

Riesling is among the most food-friendly 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 things.

I recently found myself guilty of, once again, falling victim to such erroneous and ignorant thinking (i.e., all Rieslings are sweet). I had been keeping a couple of bottles of Riesling that I received complimentary in my wine cabinet – deeming them even unworthy of the EuroCave. But as the outdoor temperature started to rise, I decided I could possibly put the bottles in the kitchen refrigerator to chill should an opportunity arise that I might want to sample them.

So on a shelf below some eggs and yogurt sat a 2007 Babich from Marlborough, New Zealand alongside a 2008 Genus 4 from Eden Valley, Australia. On a recent warm night, I decided to take a chance on one of the wines. Having tasted Rieslings from the Eden Valley before and liking them, I decided to try the Babich – better to drink the worse one first and keep the better one, right?

On the contrary; the Babich was delicious. The dry juice exhibited expressions of petrol, stone fruits and fresh acidity. I should have realized that given the Marlborogh’s late summer/autumn growing season, characterized by warm days that are tempered by cool nights, the climate is ideal for Riesling.

Yet, no matter how much we try to keep an open mind, we often revert back to what we think we know. But sometimes when we free ourselves from our rigid thinking, we might allow ourselves to find pleasure where we least expected to.

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The iterations of Riesling

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.

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