Riesling is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. It is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed aromas with high acidity. It makes dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally pure and are seldom oaked.
Keep reading for five new varieties in the shop. But, before we jump into the Rieslings, let's chat a bit about the varying levels of dryness a wine can have.
A wine is considered "dry" when all perceptible sugar in the grapes has been converted to alcohol during fermentation. So, for example, most table wines are dry. So as you might guess, an "off-dry" or "semi-dry" wine means that there's a bit of excess sugar.
One could just say that off-dry wine has a soft or mild sweetness, but it's hard to describe what that might taste like to you. Sometimes an off-dry wine can be notably sweet. Other times it's a surprise when a wine is off-dry because that touch of sweetness is in balance with the other elements in the wine. Our favorite examples of off-dry wines tend to be Rieslings.
They tend to be a little smoother, plumper and more succulent, like biting into a perfectly ripe peach. However, they can still have plenty of mouthwatering acidities. And that tiny bit of sweetness makes them an excellent match to spicy foods - think Thai or Vietnamese food.
Now on to the five Rieslings you should be pouring!
(France) 2019 Agathe Bursin Zinnkoepfle Alsace Grand Cru Riesling
Notes: This classic riesling leans dry with 8 grams of residual sugar at 13.5 % alcohol. Considered off-dry, it is varietally correct with traditional petrol notes and a bit oily and full on the palate. The classic high acidity is balanced with minerally green apple, citrus, and honey notes that flirt with sweet fruit. It can age up to 2034. So if someone is looking for classic riesling from France and wants to go big, this will be sure to please.
(Germany ) 2020 Selbach Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese
Notes: This is a deep, pure, complex and lovely wine. Think ripe yellow peaches, candied tangerine and maybe even a hint of banana flambe. It is definitely sweet at 9% alcohol and 77 grams of residual sugar but shows focus and grip and has a bee pollen-like lasting finish. Its nuances of stone fruit and honeysuckle blossoms might turn those that turn their noses up at "sweet riesling" to soften their opinions.
(Oregon ) 2021 Human Cellars Ode to Rudi Riesling
Notes: Classic bone dry riesling here at less than 2 grams of residual sugar and 12.5% alcohol. It's made with only grapes. So no sulfur, yeast from grapes and no filtering or fining. Rudi, an old-school German winemaker, challenged the winemaker... "Can you make wine with only grapes?" Challenge accepted. This is the result. Think quince and grapefruit peel, a hint of petrol, and a shifting flinty minerality that changes in complexity as the wine evolves in the glass.
(Oregon) 2021 Seehof Morstein Kabinett Riesling
Notes: A fifth-generation family vineyard, all fruit is estate grown. At 36 grams of residual sugar and 9.5% alcohol, this is definitely trending towards noticeably sweet but yet oddly still remains relatively dry. This wine has a beautifully elegant dance of balance between fruit, acid and sugar. Every component perfectly anticipates and compliments the moves of the others and is so lovely it will take your breath away. There are hints of meyer lemon, salted pomelo, green papaya, clementine and perhaps even a hint of mint on the nose. The long and delicate finish has a lovely undertone of minerality. This may be the perfect choice for the riesling, curious yet cautious.
(Germany) 2020 Selbach Oster Zeltinger Riesling Kabinett Trocken
Notes: This riesling feels sun-drenched and powerful with a fragrant, aromatic, floral nose. Less residual sugar at 60 grams produces higher alcohol at 11.5 (but make no mistake, it is still pretty sweet). It is light, ripe, beautifully clear and entirely fruity. Plump and intense on the palate, smooth and juicy carry over into a long and structured finish.