Riesling

  • Aroma and flavors:  minerals, floral, fruity (apple, citrus, peach, apricot and pineapple), honey with oily scents developing as they age. (*rarely oaked)
  • Acidity: medium to high and dry to off dry to sweet (high natural level of Tartaric acid enables it to balance even high levels of residual sugar)
  • Riesling may be the best of all the white wine grapes
  • Its homeland is Germany, where it has been cultivated since the 1400s or earlier
  • Run the gamut from bone dry and crisp to the complex, nectars made from Botrytis-affected, shriveled berries
  • Riesling grapes left on the vine beyond normal ripeness can develop Edelfäule (Nobel Rot)
  • The result of this ugly but non-toxic mold, Botrytis cinerea, is the shriveling of the grapes, the evaporation of much of the juice, and the concentration of the sugar (known by as Trockenbeerenauslese in Germany)
  • Sometimes referred to as White, Rhine, or Johannisberg, the Riesling name has been tarnished by the attachment of its name to other white varietals (Grey Riesling–aka Chaucé Gris–, Walschriesling–aka Italian Riesling–, and Missouri Riesling) that are of far lesser quality and genetically unrelated to the true Riesling
  • Vines are particularly hard-wooded and tolerant of cold weather and they bud late, so are well-suited to the coldest wine-growing climates
  • Hillside microclimates provide cool climates and at the same time plenty of sun exposure
  • Protection from the winds are of paramount importance to quality Riesling 
  • Mosel River produces wines that are unique in their low alcohol, powerful aroma, and high extract
  • Also very successful in Alsace, France and Finger Lakes region of New York State