Riesling is one of those grapes considered a “Noble” grape. Love getting them in blind tastings! The aromas can very between citrus to ripe tropical fruit but are usually quite fragrant with beautiful floral, honey and mineral notes and even sometimes the tell-tale petroleum – I know right! I’m in LOVE
For some folks, picking up a bottle of Riesling never crosses their mind because they assume it’s sweet – well you know that old adage (ass+u+me) rings a bit true here. Sure, Riesling can be sweet but it can also be so bone dry making even an avid Sauvignon Blanc follower take a second sip!
Now, I’m not here to judge you, I only hope I can give you a bit of information to use when you go shopping next; information that may tickle your brain and you’ll find yourself in the Germany section with a bottle in hand. When that happens – do let me know!
So, I digress, Wines of Germany declared March 13th to be the “BIRTHDAY” for Riesling and this year she’s turning a glorious 586 years old!! Now talk about a milestone! Other grapes have ‘national’ days but a birthday – that’s special.
What should you know when you are going to pick up a bottle or Riesling?
If it isn’t from Germany and its price point is over $20, it’s likely dry and vice versa.
Disclaimer: this isn’t always true but from my experience at ANBL it’s a good guide
Germany has an interesting law about labels where the ripeness of the grape at harvest it included. This is where it gets a bit complicated. Just because it’s a riper grape doesn’t mean it will be a sweet wine. (Wine peeps – please note I use the term sweet loosely here, don’t hate) If you see words like Auslese, Beerenauslese, or Trockenbeerenauslese on the label, they are gonna be sweet. So that leaves us with Kabinet and Spatlese – spin the wheel! All joking aside, try them all and I know you will find one you like.
To help you on your journey, I’ve created a list below of some of my favourite German Rieslings you can find at the nearest ANBL store and why. Let me know which one you grabbed for the party on Saturday. Pst! It goes with a crazy amount of different foods too – so versatile
Snap a photo of you celebrating and tag me in social media using #winebynight #riesling #winesofgermany
xo ~ Charlotte
Landlust Organic Riesling – its dry and crisp with abundant citrus notes and some minerality
Lingenfelder – off-dry with flavours of citrus and peach, I’ve converted many with this one
Bree – a bit sweeter with balanced acidity balances and notes of apple, peach and pear
Dreams – sweet but balanced and the flavours of ripe peach and lychee are intoxicating
I hope this helps to give you a starting point, I’ve got mine picked out and you can see it on my social media this weekend.