Riesling [REEZ-ling; REES-ling] | Wine Terms

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Riesling
[REEZ-ling; REES-ling]

Riesling is considered to be one of the world’s great white-wine grapes and produces some of the very best white wines. It’s a native of Germany, where it’s believed to have been cultivated for at least 500 years, possibly as long as 2,000 years. This grape’s balance of good ACID and high sugar levels produces wines with considerable aging potential. The DELICATE but COMPLEX Riesling wines are characterized by a SPICY, FRUITY flavor (that’s sometimes reminiscent of peaches and apricots), a flower-scented BOUQUET, and a long FINISH. Riesling is vinified in a variety of styles ranging from DRY to very sweet. In Germany, these sweet wines, which are usually affected by BOTRYTIS CINEREA, are graded in ascending order of sweetness as AUSLESE, BEERENAUSLESE, and TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE. There are extensive Riesling plantings in California where early wines were made in a DRY, OAKY style. California winemakers now produce high-quality, German-style Rieslings, which are lighter, more delicate, and slightly to medium sweet. They also make some excellent LATE HARVEST wines from botrytis-infected grapes. Other states that have had success with Riesling wines include Oregon, Washington, and New York. Australia has extensive plantings of this grape and produces high-quality Riesling wines, particularly from the Eden and Clare Valleys. France’s ALSACE region and Italy’s ALTO ADIGE also produce excellent Rieslings. Because the name “Riesling” is used in many ways, it’s sometimes difficult to find wines truly made from this variety. In California, for instance, Johannisberg Riesling is the true Riesling, whereas GRAY RIESLING and EMERALD RIESLING are actually other varieties. Californians also call the variety SYLVANER such names as Sylvaner Riesling, Franken Riesling, Monterey Riesling, and Sonoma Riesling. A bottle of California wine labeled simply “Riesling” usually means that the wine’s made from one of the lesser varieties, not Johannisberg Riesling. In parts of Europe, there is also WELSCHRIESLING (or Italian Riesling), which is a different variety. In Australia, the word Riesling often refers to any type of white wine, whereas Rhine Riesling refers to the real thing. South Africans have Cape Riesling, Clare Riesling, Paarl Riesling, and South African Riesling, all of which refer to a variety officially known as CRUCHEN BLANC. Weisser Riesling is the name South Africans (and some Germans) use for the true Riesling. The confusion is perpetuated even in Germany, where the variety Müllerrebe (MEUNIER) is called Schwarzriesling and the variety RÜLANDER is called Grauer Riesling. The Germans have also bred a number of Riesling hybrids, the most famous being the MÜLLER-THURGAU, a cross between Riesling and SYLVANER. Riesling is also known as Johannisberger, Klingelberger,Petit Rhin, Rajinski Rizling, Rajnai Rizling, Riesling Renano, and White Riesling.

Related Links: Umpqua Valley AVA, Bulgaria, Welschriesling, Chardonnay

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