Riesling

Ripe grapes of Riesling

Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Alsace (France), Austria, Germany (see German wine), and northern Italy. It is a very old grape, first documented in 1435, in which year the storage inventory of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (a small principality on the Rhine) lists the purchase of six barrels of riesslingen from a Rüsselsheim vintner. The modern word Riesling was first documented in 1552 when it was mentioned in Hieronymous Bock's Latin herbal.

The most expensive wines made from Riesling are late harvest dessert wines, produced by letting the grapes hang on the vines well past normal picking time. Through evaporation caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea ("noble rot") or by freezing, as in the case of ice wine (in German, Eiswein), water is removed and the resulting wine offers richer layers on the palate. These concentrated wines have more sugar (in extreme cases hundreds of grams per liter), more acid (to give balance to all the sugar), more flavors, etc. Due to its concentration, late-harvest Rieslings are among the longest-lived of all wines. The beneficial use of "noble rot" was discovered in the late 18th century at Schloss Johannisberg. Permission from the Abbey of Fulda, which owned the vineyard, to start picking the grapes arrived too late and the grapes had begun to rot, yet it turned out that the wine made from them was still of excellent quality.

Wine Regions that produce Riesling

Riesling is one of the grape varieties considered to best express the terroir of the place where it is grown, much more so than many other white grapes.

Riesling is suited to relatively cool climates. Riesling wines from Germany are traditionally sweet to medium sweet, but those from Alsace and Austria tend to be dry (sec) or just off-dry (demi-sec). Late Harvest Rieslings can ripen to become very sweet dessert wines such as beerenauslese (BA), and trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). Dry German Rieslings have been increasingly popular in Germany in recent decades, and are labeled as trocken. Other names for true Riesling - though these are only used in the United States - are Johannisberg Riesling (named after the famed Schloss Johannisberg), White Riesling and Rhine Riesling. Many grapes that incorporate the name Riesling are not true Riesling. For example, Grey Riesling is actually Trousseau Gris, an unrelated grape. Schwarzriesling ("black Riesling") is also known as Pinot meunier, a grape also used in the production of Champagne.

Riesling is also grown in the other areas, notably Australia where the grape produces a distinctive crisp, dry and fruity wine. The Clare Valley and Eden Valley are both notable for the quality of their Australian Riesling. In North America, Riesling is usually grown in cooler regions, such as northern California, New York, Michigan and Ontario, and shows promise in the Pacific Northwest. It is also grown in cooler regions of New Zealand and South Africa, and the quality is improving significantly in the New World as more suitable sites are found, better quality vines are planted, and the vines age.

Riesling is particularly suited to slate soil.

German Riesling

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Bottle and glass of Schloss Schönborn Kabinett Riesling.

Riesling is Germany’s leading grape variety, known for its characteristic “transparency” in flavor and presentation, and for its balance between fruit and mineral flavors. In Germany, Riesling normally ripens between late September and late November, and late harvest Riesling can be picked as late as January. Two notable characteristics of German Riesling are that it is rarely blended with other varietals, and that it is hardly ever exposed to commercial yeast. While clearer in individual flavors when it is young, a German Riesling will harmonize more as it ages, particularly around ten years of age.

Some consider the best German Riesling to come from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, having characteristic mineral and slate flavors. According to local tradition, the bottles used are tall, tapered, and green. Similar bottles, although brown, are used for Riesling produced in the Rhine region.

In the Late 19th century German horticulturalists devoted many efforts to develop new Riesling hybrids that would create a more flexible, less tempermental grape that could still retain some of the elegant characteristics of Riesling. The most notable is the Müller-Thurgau developed in Geisenheim in 1882, it is said to be a cross of Riesling and Silvaner though this has come under doubt. Another Riesling/Silvaner cross, the Pfalz regional favorite Scheurebe has its roots in this period of experimental creativity.

Riesling is also the preferred grape in production of Sekt, German sparkling wine.

Several recent vintages of German Riesling have been regarded as exceptionally good. The 2001 in particular has been considered the best in recent years with the 2004 vintage not far behind. 2005 is expected to be even greater; first wine-tastings were incredible.

Alsace Riesling

A cart in Alsace selling estate grown Rieslings.

Without supporting documentation, the Alsace region of France lays claim to first planting of Riesling, in 1348. Today it has become the Alsace’s leading grape varietal with the wine produce here being very different from neighboring German Riesling. Alsatian Riesling is mostly very dry with a cleansing acidity. They are thick bodied wines that coat the palate. These wines age exceptionally well with a quality vintage ageing up to 20 years. This is beneficial since the flavors in an Alsace wine will often open up after three years, developing softer and fruitier flavors.

2001 was a recent well received vintage.

Notable Recent Award Winners of Alsace Rieslings:

• 2005 Decanter World Wine Award-Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2002 Domaines Schlumberger
• 8th World Riesling Competition (held March 8th, 2005 in Strasborg, Germany had four of the five Premier Gold Medal winners from Alsace):
  • Riesling Weinberg 2003 Cave Vinicole d’Andlau
  • Vendanges Tardives Wiebelsberg 2001 Domaine des Marronniers
  • Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2002 Domaine Dopff & Irion
  • Vendanges Tardives 2001 Louis Hauller

Australian and New Zealand Riesling

In 1820 the first reference to Riesling in Australia came from William Macarthur planting 20 acres of the grape near Penrith in New South Wales. A “Riesling Boom” in the 1970s saw a sharp increase in plantings and demand for Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Rhine Riesling. Riesling from Australia and New Zealand is generally dry and known for bold flavor, having a floral bouquet and a graceful finish. Lime and citrus flavors are sometimes prominent.

2002 was a recent well-received Australian vintage, though 2000 vintage Riesling from the North Island of New Zealand is sometimes considered slightly better.

Austrian Riesling

Without supporting documentation, the Wachau region of lower Austria lays claim to first planting of Riesling in 1232. Today it is the second leading white grape varietal after the indigenous Grüner Veltliner. Austrian Riesling is generally thick bodied, coating the palate and producing a strong clarity of flavor coupled with a mouthwatering aroma. A particular Austrian Riesling trademark is a long finish that includes hints of white pepper. Austria is also home to the Riesling hybrid Müller-Thurgau.

2003 was a recent well-received Austrian vintage, although 1999 is considered to be a classic vintage.

Riesling in the U.S.

In the late nineteenth century German immigrants brought with them Riesling vines, named Johannisberg Riesling to qualify them as “legitimate” German Riesling. New York, particularly in the Finger Lakes region, was one of the earliest U.S. producers of Riesling. Today, New York Riesling generally has a characteristic effervescent light body with a similarly light, mellow flavor. The wine came be dynamic though rarely robust, and ranges from dry to sweet. New York is also a notable producer of Riesling based Ice Wine, although a large majority of New York Ice Wine is made from Vidal Blanc and Vignoles.

In California, Riesling lags far behind in popularity to Chardonnay and is not as commonly planted. A notable exception is the growing development of high quality Late Harvest dessert wines. Most successfully produced so far are in the Anderson and Alexander Valleys, where weather is more likely to encourage the needed botrytis to develop. The Riesling that does come out of California tends to be softer, fuller, and having more diverse flavors than a "typical" German Riesling.

In the Pacific Northwest there is a stark contrast in Riesling production, the grape is currently on the rise in Washington State but on the decline in neighboring Oregon. Riesling from this area ranges from dry to sweet, and has a crisp lightness that bodes well for easy drinking. Often there will be an easily detectable peach and mineral complex. Some Washington State winemakers, such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, are adapting German style Riesling production methods, and even partnering with well-known German vintners like Dr. Ernest Loosen to create specialty wines such as the 2004 Eroica Riesling.

Riesling Wine Production

In wine making, the delicate nature of the Riesling grape requires special handling during harvesting to avoid crushing or bruising the skin. Without this care, the broken skins could leak tannin into the juice, giving a markedly coarse taste and throwing off balance the Riesling’s range of flavors and aromas.

A wine that is best at its “freshest” states, the grapes and juice may be chilled often throughout the vinification process. Once, right after picking to preserve the grapes' more delicate flavors. Second, after it has been processed through a bladder press and right before fermentation. During fermentation, the wine is cooled in temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks kept between 50-65F. (Unlike red wines that normally ferment at 75-85F)

Unlike Chardonnay, most Riesling does not undergo malolactic fermentation. This helps preserve the tart, acidic characteristic of the wine that gives Riesling its “thirst-quenching” quality. Producers of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio often avoid malolactic fermentation for the same reason. To prevent malolactic fermentation, wine makers have several options, each of which imparts some imprint on the resulting wine. A small dose of sulphur dioxide could be added to stunt the proliferation of the bacteria. This is also what a wine maker would do to maintain some of the wine’s natural sugars and sweetness, making it an “off-dry” wine. The wine maker could also go through a very thorough filtering process to eliminate any remaining proteins, bacteria, or yeast. Though laborious, this method can produce exceptionally “clean” tasting Riesling. A third option would be an early cold stabilization, where the wine is quickly chilled to just above the freezing point. For several days the wine is kept at this temperature as tartaric acid crystallizes and is dispatched from the wine. After this, the wine is normally filtered again to remove any remaining yeast or impurities.

Riesling with Food

Riesling is a very versatile wine to have with food, because of its balance of sugar and notable acidity. It can pair with white fish, or with pork, and it is one of the few wines that can stand up to Thai and Chinese cuisine. Riesling's typical aromas are of flowers, tropical fruits, and mineral stone (such as slate or quartz), although, with time, the wine acquires a petrol or kerosene note that may be immediately arresting to new drinkers of Riesling while others may find it alluring. Stored well, Riesling can remain drinkable for over a century. It is almost never oaked, which tends to lighten its profile and increase its suitability with many foods. The sharp acidity/sweetness in Rieslings can serve as a very good balance to foods that are high in salt content. In Germany, Rieslings are sometimes cooked with cabbage to help taper the smell.