Weekly Wine Series - Riesling

Riesling is one of the most misunderstood grape varietals. When I ask people about Riesling, they usually say they don’t like it because it’s too sweet. I used to feel the exact same way until I opened my mind a little more and actually learned more about this varietal.

The facet of the matter is, not all Riesling is sweet! There are many different styles of Riesling ranging from bone dry to sweet. I have really developed a palette for the drier Rieslings this past year, and it’s been fun to try some new wines.

Some common characteristics and tasting notes for Riesling include lime, green apple, jasmine, beeswax and petrol (on the nose). There are many other characteristics, but these are just a few.

Riesling can grow in a wide variety of locations, but some of the most popular include Germany, France (Alsace), Australia and the USA.

Take a look through this post if you’re wanting to learn a little more about Riesling. I also included my food pairing recommendations and bottle recommendations for every price point. Cheers!

Overview

Facts

Riesling is likely native to Germany and the first recorded mention of Riesling was in 1435.
Riesling is the most planted grape in Germany. Also, Germany has the most Riesling vines compared to any other country.
Riesling grows in almost every major wine region across the globe.
Some of the most notable regions for Riesling (besides Germany) include: Alsace, The Finger Lakes (New York) and Clare Valley (Australia).
There are 6 different sweetness levels in German Rieslings that can be categorized by the following Prädikat levels:
- Trocken (Dry)
- Kabinett (Dry to off-dry)
- Spätlese (Sweet)
- Auslese (Sweeter)
- Beerenauslese (Very Sweet)
- Trockenbeerenauslese (Super Sweet)
Riesling is considered one of the very best food-pairing wines. Riesling can be paired with a wide variety of dishes based on the level of sweetness and acidity.
Riesling typically has a low alcohol content.
Oak is rarely used on Riesling.

Food Pairings

Riesling can pair well with a wide variety of dishes due to the high acidity in this wine. In general, spicy foods work well with Riesling like Thai food or Indian food. Here are some of my recommendations for what to pair with Riesling: