Most iterations, especially those below a $20 retail price threshold, are best enjoyed within 2–3 years of bottling, when their youthful perfume and juicy fruit flavors are at peak. Of course, not all Riesling is meant to be aged. Sweeter styles may seem to shift drier on the palate as sugar molecules polymerize. While acidity, alcohol and sugar levels remain constant, well-aged Riesling often gains textural richness and density. With age, these primary characteristics shift towards preserved or dried fruit and flower, and savory nuances of caramel, candlewax and earth appear. Tasted young, Riesling is among the most explosively aromatic of wines, profoundly floral and fruity, concentrated with zingy peach, apple or citrus flavors. The best examples of Riesling, however, are solidly structured with bracing acidity and low pH, as well as flavor compounds and phenolics that develop brilliantly with age. Old Rieslingĭue to a lack of tannins, most white wines aren’t known to withstand long times in the cellar. Mosel wine terraces in early spring / Getty Young vs. Wine 2: Any Riesling labeled dry (trocken). Wine 1: Any Riesling labeled off dry (halbtrocken or feinherb), semidry (kabinett or spätlese) or sweet (auslese). Remember, even dry wines with no residual sugar can be explosively fruity and even candied in flavor. When comparing dry and sweeter styles, hone into whether the sweetness you perceive is derived from residual sugar, or if your palate is interpreting flavors of ripe peach, tangerine, honey or marmalade as sweetness. Anything lower than 11.5% abv will exhibit sweetness. Typically, anything at or above 12% abv will taste dry. The higher the abv, the more sugar was converted to alcohol resulting in a drier wine. Kabinett is typically off dry or semidry, but some producers use kabinett trocken to signify a dry wine produced from very ripe, late-harvest grapes.Ĭhecking the alcohol by volume (abv) of a Riesling label is the easiest way to gauge sweetness regardless of origin. Kabinett, spätlese, auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeerenausles and eiswein all indicate wines produced from late-harvest grapes with concentrated levels of sugar. Feinherb or halbtrocken suggest small amounts of RS, typically 9–18 g/L. In German-speaking regions, look for wines labeled trocken for dry wines, with residual sugar (RS) of less than 9 grams per liter (g/L). To ease confusion, Riesling producers are increasingly labeling their wines dry, off dry, semisweet or sweet.

Many consumers eschew Riesling because they’re unsure whether a given bottle of Riesling will be sweet or dry. In areas like Rheinhessen or Franken in Germany, Alsace in France or throughout Austria, dry expressions of Riesling are the dominant style. Yet dry styles are produced in every Riesling region worldwide. One of the biggest misconceptions about Riesling is that it’s always sweet. Michelle Riesling bottle / Photo Courtesy Chateau St.

If you can’t find exact matches, ask your favorite retailer to recommend alternatives. Does the nose suggest blossoms and peaches or smoke and stone? Is it bracingly tart like lime or green apple, or tropical and luscious like pineapple or mango? Is the palate dry or sweet? Whether in France, Austria, Australia or the United States, Riesling is a conduit of terroir, translating effects of soil and climate into distinctive, delicious wines.Īs an introduction to the diverse world of Riesling, organize a tasting from three categories: dry versus sweet, young versus old and Germany versus Washington.Īs you compare each flight, look for classic aromas, flavors and textures. Germany remains the most copious and heralded producer of the grape, but the variety has also flourished worldwide. Riesling originates from the Rhine Valley region of Germany, where documented history of the wine exists as far back as 1435.

For consumers, however, the lack of a singular, dependable identity can create confusion. This multifaceted persona makes Riesling a darling of wine critics and sommeliers. Its extract can masquerade volume and texture far beyond its alcoholic footprint. Its gloriously fruity, electric flavors can lend perceptions of sweetness despite zero residual sugar. Its nose can be lavishly floral or stony and earthen. The supreme shape shifter of the wine world, Riesling can be totally dry or lusciously sweet, still or sparkling. There are few grape varieties more fervently worshipped yet sorely misunderstood than Riesling. Decorative Wine Racks & Modular Systems.

Riesling wine taste