The king of vines, that’s what Riesling likes to be called in Germany. Riesling captivates with its intense aroma and its penetrating, crisp acidity, which it retains even at high levels of maturity and as a sweet wine. No other grape variety, many winemakers are convinced, brings the terroir, especially the soil characteristics, into the glass better than Riesling.
In Germany and in Austria, Riesling is very popular and is responsible for all great wines. The grape variety produces delicate, racy, fine-nerved and stylish wines that cover a wide range of aromas, from steely and bone-dry with beautifully fragrant fruits of apples, apricots, peaches and citrus, to the exotically sweet flavors of great sweet wines, such as honey and dried fruit.
Riesling is also very important in Alsace. There it produces somewhat earthier, heavier and fuller wines than in Germany. The dry Rieslings often seem austere and steely, while the Spätlesen (Vendages Tardives) and Auslesen (Sélection de Grains Nobles) are among the greatest sweet wines in the world.
For some years now, Riesling has been experiencing a real renaissance, thanks in part to the winemakers of the New World. In Australia, the grape has earned a great reputation and delivers wonderfully aromatic wines in the cooler growing regions of Clare Valley, Eden Valley or Tasmania. And in New Zealand, too, with its Pacific-cool climate, Riesling is poised to become the number two white wine after Sauvignon Blanc. The grape variety also has great potential in Canada, where Riesling is not only popular for the production of ice wine, but is now also at the forefront of dry wines.
Central Otago
