Riesling [reese-ling] is the Queen of Grapes and the world’s most versatile white grape variety! Germany is the most important producer of Riesling, but excellent versions are made around the world.

This aromatic grape variety comes in a range of styles from refreshingly bone-dry to lusciously sweet. High in fruity natural acidity, typically low in alcohol, and able to age for decades in bottle - Riesling has it all.

FLAVORS

This aromatic grape variety comes in an array of styles from refreshingly bone-dry to lusciously sweet. Typical flavors found in Riesling wines include stone fruit like nectarine, apricot, and peach; citrus fruit like lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine; pomaceous fruit like apple, quince, and pear; and mineral notes. High in fruity natural acidity, typically low in alcohol, and able to age for decades in bottle - Riesling has it all.

VITICULTURE + WINEMAKING

Riesling shares one parent with Chardonnay – the little-known grape, Gouais Blanc (known as Weisser Heunisch in Germany); Riesling’s other parent is itself a cross between Traminer and a wild vine. Riesling ripens fairly early vis-à-vis other prominent grape varieties, and so hot climates that bake out interesting nuances are less preferred as places to plant the variety. Riesling performs best if grown in a relatively cool climate, fermented cool to retain aromatic nuance, and bottled early without any malolactic fermentation or new wood influence. Germany is the historical and spiritual home for Riesling, but Austria, France, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and other locales, also make excellent examples

FOOD + WINE

Winemakers can choose to make Riesling with any range of sweetness, they aim to leave the right amount of sweetness to balance the high levels of fruity natural acidity. There is a Riesling style to satisfy even the trickiest food and wine pairing challenges. Acidic foods, like those incorporating vinaigrette or lemon, need drier high-acid wines like Trocken Rieslings. Spicy foods, like Thai or Indian food, need the sweet-n’-sour intensity of off-dry wines, like Halbtrocken, Feinherb, and Kabinett Rieslings. And sweet foods, like fruit desserts and pastries, need even sweeter wines, like fruity Spätlese and Auslese Rieslings.  

READING LABELS + LABEL TERMS

An ‘er’ suffix indicates the wine is from a given place/village (Wehlener = a wine from the village of Wehlen)
 
Trocken = ‘dry’ – crisp, bone-dry but fruity
Halbtrocken = ‘half-dry’ or ‘off-dry’
Feinherb = unregulated term, also ‘off-dry’
Kabinett = ‘cabinet’ – fully ripe, racy, vibrant, low alcohol, lightly sweet
Spatlese = ‘late harvest’ 
Auslese = ‘select harvest’