
Riesling Wine
Learn about Riesling Wine — taste profile, popular regions and more ...
A noble grape produced in a wide range of styles, Riesling can be bone dry, intensely sweet and everything in between. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, Riesling wine possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. It can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and the best examples can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Riesling is best known in Germany and Alsace, and is also of great importance in Austria. The white wine variety has also been particularly successful in Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys, New Zealand, Washington, cooler regions of California, and the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Riesling Tasting Notes
Aromatic fresh fruit, lively acidity, and light body and texture are hallmarks of the Riesling grape, together with flavors of ripe stone fruit and slate. Riesling usually has a high acidity and stone fruit, citrus, spice and floral notes. At its ripest, it leans towards juicy peach, nectarine and pineapple, while cooler climes produce Rieslings redolent of Meyer lemon, lime and green apple. With age, Riesling can become truly revelatory, developing unique, complex aromatics, often with a hint of petrol.
Perfect Riesling Food Pairings
Most Riesling is found in the range of dry to just slightly sweet, making it incredibly food friendly - it pairs well with sweet-fleshed fish like sole, freshly shucked oysters and most Asian food. The off-dry styles in particular are a natural accompaniment to the spicy, sour, and sweet flavors that define many Thai and Indian recipes. This is due to the blend of tropical fruits and acidity present in these wines, as well as their low alcohol content, which balances the heat found in the food. Dry German Riesling pairs perfectly with anything that contains fall fruit. Think pork chops with apples, pear and arugula salad, or butternut squash. Sweeter styles work well with fruit-based desserts.
Sommelier Secrets for Riesling
It can be difficult to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling, and German labeling laws do not make things any easier. Look for the world “trocken” to indicate a dry wine, or “halbtrocken” or “feinherb” for off-dry. Some producers will include a helpful sweetness scale on the back label—happily, a growing trend.
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Dr. Loosen Dr. L Riesling 2021Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Willm Kirchberg de Barr Riesling 2020Riesling from Alsace, France
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August Kesseler Rheingau Riesling R Kabinett 2020Riesling from Rheingau, Germany
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Dr. Loosen Dr. L Dry Riesling 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Fritz Haag Mosel Estate Riesling Feinherb 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling 2021Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Zilliken Forstmeister Geltz Rausch Riesling Spatlese 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Josef Leitz Dragonstone Riesling 2020Riesling from Rheingau, Germany
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Bollig-Lehnert Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Sweet Riesling 2021Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2021Riesling from Eden Valley, Barossa, South Australia, Australia
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Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Alte Reben Grosses Gewachs Riesling 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Rippon Vineyard Mature Vine Riesling 2019Riesling from Central Otago, New Zealand
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Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Müller-Burggraef) Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett 2019Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Eroica Riesling 2020Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Robert Weil Rheingau Riesling Trocken 2020Riesling from Rheingau, Germany
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Clean Slate Mosel Riesling 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Robert Weil Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese 2020Riesling from Rheingau, Germany
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Willm Riesling Reserve 2020Riesling from Alsace, France
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Willm Cuvee Emile Willm Riesling 2020Riesling from Alsace, France
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Monchhof Mosel Riesling 2020Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Donnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling Dry Slate 2020Riesling from Nahe, Germany
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