Riesling (Reece-ling) is a white wine that can be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. They are floral in taste with tree fruit (apples, pears, peaches, apricots) and honey notes. Unlike most of the other grapes we’ve discussed, these grapes originated in Germany instead of France. German Rieslings are the most popular, but the grapes are also grown in Austria, Serbia, New Zealand, Canada, China, Australia, and the US (New York, Washington, California, and Michigan). Rieslings should be served about 30 minutes after coming out of the refrigerator (lightly chilled, not ice cold).
Color
White
Flavor
- a floral aroma
- fruity flavors of peaches, tangerines, and honeysuckle
- spice notes
- a refreshing yet long finish
German style Rieslings often have labels with one of these three words on it:
Auslese: Means select harvest and sweeter than both of the others
Kabinett: The lightest style ranging from dry to off dry
Spatlese: Means late to harvest, and sweeter than Kabinett
Food Pairings:
This wine is extremely food friendly and pairs with a number of foods.
- Spicy Thai, Indian, or Chinese dishes are perfect with Riesling.
- Turkey, chicken, shrimp, or crab dishes with sweet veggies like carrots or eggplants.
- Mild cheeses made from cows milk pair nicely.
- Candied walnuts, pears, or even apple pie.
Things to Avoid:
Stinky cheeses
Tomato based sauces
Top Brands:
Relax Riesling
Cupcake Riesling
Schmitt Sohne Riesling
Chateau Saint Michelle
Dr. Loosen Riesling
Eroica Riesling
Fun Facts:
Riesling is considered to be one of the VERY BEST wines for food pairing.
It’s one of the oldest grapes in the world (somewhere around 1435)
So far it’s the only wine we’ve discussed that doesn’t have its own day