World Famous Grapes
Riesling
Riesling thrives best in cooler climates, where it ripens in the late autumn months.
Riesling produces dry, semi-dry, sweet, sparkling, and dessert wines.
Dry Riesling is primarily a food wine. Alone, the wines may seem a bit acidic.
Riesling Flavors
 Lemon |
 Lime |
 Apple |
 Pear |
 Peach |
 Nectarine |
 Apricot |
 Flowers |
 Herbs |
 Steel |
 Minerals |
 Petroleum |
The Riesling grape is super aromatic.
Citrus, apple, and white fruit flavors are typical for Riesling. Hints of flowers, herbs, and steely minerals.
Warmer climates can add more peach and apricot notes.
Riesling Profile
Dry Riesling is fresh and fruity, almost perfumed.
The high acidity balances the sweetness (residual sugar).
| SUGAR: | Dry 3g/l |
| BODY: | Light |
| FRUIT: | Medium |
| ACIDITY: | High |
| ACCOHOL: | 11-13% ABV |
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Serving temperature: 8-10°C (46-50°F) |
Riesling Food Pairing
Riesling is very food friendly. It pairs best with Seafood, Chicken, and Vegetables:
 Fish |
 Seafood |
 Shrimps |
 Sushi |
 Salmon |
 Chicken |
 Turkey |
 Pork |
 Salads |
 Vegetables |
 Asparagus |
 Soft Cheese |
Excellent Pairings
Seafood. Shellfish. Shrimps. Clams.
Fried Fish. Lemon based Sauces.
Sashimi. Sushi. Nori Rolls. Gravlax.
Roasted Chicken. Chicken Wings.
Lightly Smoked Meat. Pork. Ham. Turkey.
Alsatian Specialities
Flammkuchen (White Pizza).
Roast Pork with Mustard Sauce.
The Ideal Glass for Riesling
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A Riesling Glass has a tall and narrow bowl to emphasize the aromas of the wine. The shape also helps balance the high acidity often found in Rieslings. The glass is also perfect for any other bone dry wines with high acidity like Chablis, Chenin Blanc, Picpoul and Vinho Verde. |
Riesling Cheese Pairing
Pairing Tips
Opt for cheeses with moderate saltiness and creaminess to balance the wine's acidity.
Add accompaniments like fresh fruits (grapes, apples, pears), nuts (almonds, walnuts), or a light drizzle of honey to enhance the pairing.
Fresh and Mild Cheeses
Goat Cheese (Chèvre): The tanginess complements the subtle fruit notes in Riesling.
Mozzarella: Its delicate flavor pairs well with the wine's lightness.
Ricotta: Especially good if served with a drizzle of honey or fresh fruits.
Semi-Soft Cheeses
Brie: The creamy texture and mild flavor work beautifully with Riesling.
Camembert: Similar to Brie but with slightly more earthiness.
Fontina: Its nutty, buttery qualities make a good match.
Hard Cheeses
Gruyère: Mildly nutty and sweet, enhancing the wine's subtlety.
Manchego: A classic Spanish pairing, especially younger Manchego, which is less intense.
Asiago: Lightly aged Asiago adds a complementary tang.
Blue Cheeses (for contrast)
Robiola: Its mild creaminess contrasts nicely without overpowering the wine.
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About Riesling
Riesling thrives best in cool climates, where it can ripe into the late fall. In hot climates, Riesling generally loses its fine, delicate flavors.
Riesling is in many ways opposite to Chardonnay. Good Riesling is fresh and sour with medium fullness, moderate alcohol, delicate aromas, and no oak.
To appreciate Riesling, a certain tolerance for acid should be worked up. Riesling has a much more exciting aroma profile than Chadonnay, and it also possesses great elegance and finesse.
Dry Riesling is primarily a food wine. Alone, the wines may seem a little sour.
The best Rieslinges come from Germany, Alsace in France, Austria, Northern Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.
You can read more about Riesling world wide at Riesling Regions.
Riesling Regions
The best Riesling wines come from Germany, Alsace (France), Austria, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.
A German Riesling will have a lighter style and a higher acid level an edition from Alsace that has more body and fullness.
A German Riesling with a few grams of residual sugar and high acid content can still be considered as dry and comfortable as a dry Riesling from Alsace with less sugar and more alcohol.
When Riesling accompanies food, it should be slightly stored. The ripening tones down the acid, and the wine is rounded off.
Riesling in Germany
Riesling is the most planted wine grape in Germany. It is used to produce dry, semi-dry and sweet white wines, sparkling wines, and dessert wines.
High Quality areas / regions:
- Mosel
- Pfalz
- Rheingau
- Reinhessen
- Nahe
The German Mosel valley is one of the classic cultivation areas for Riesling.
The grape's demand for a cool climate is particularly well satisfied in this part of Germany, where conditions are quite extreme for wine production.
North of Germany (Mosel, Nahe), the wines are light and floral, with extreme finesse. They are usually made semi-dry or sweeter.
Further south, the wines will get more body, and dry editions are more common. Some of the best wines for food come from Rheingau, Pfalz, and Alsace in France.
Riesling in France
Riesling was first planted in France (Alsace) in the 15th century.
Rieslings from Alsace are known to display subtle differences from those produced in Germany.
Region: Alsace.
Riesling in Austria
The Riesling production in Austria is quite small, but Austria has a perfect climate and a good reputation for making excellent Rieslings.
High Quality areas / regions:
- Wachau
- Kamptal
Riesling in Italy
The best Italian Rieslings come from the North.
High Quality areas / regions:
- Trentino
- Alto-Adige
Riesling in Australia
With a hot climate, Riesling loses its delicate flavors. Australian riesling is an exception. Some of Australia's best white wines are made by Riesling.
High Quality areas / regions:
- Clare
- Eden
Picture credit: wineaustralia.com
Riesling in New Zealand
Most of the Riesling in New Zealand is grown on the South Island where the climate is colder.
High Quality areas / regions:
- Malborough
- Waipara Valley
Riesling in USA
USA produces good value Rieslings in many different regions.
High Quality areas / regions:
- New York
- Washington
- Oregon
- Idahoe
- California
- Michigan
In the nineteenth century, German immigrants brought Riesling vines to USA.
New York was one of the earliest producers of US Riesling (1850), soon to be followed by California (1861) and Washington State (1871)
The most significant Riesling quantities are now produced in Washington, New York, and Michigan.
Washington State
Riesling was one of the first grape varieties in Washington State.
Today, Washington is world class wine region, and the largest Riesling region in the USA.
The Columbia Valley has temperatures much like Alsace in France (or Rheingau in Germany), and cool evenings that preserves the acidity essential to Riesling
Washington State is known for producing full-flavored, elegant and incredible balanced Rieslings.
Riesling is also popular in the Pasific Northwest because it pairs well with the cuisine, with a multitude of fresh Seafood, Crab, Shrimps, and Oysters.
Asian cuisines are also popular in the Northwest, and the slight sweetness and crisp acidity Riesling’s pairs very well with spice in Thai food and Curry.
New York - Finger Lake
About 300 miles northwest of New York City lies a beautiful wine region called The Finger Lakes.
A cool climate, the "lake effect" temperature moderation, glacial soils, and sloping topography make this one a perfect Riesling production area.
Michigan
Michigan is one of the top ten wine-producing states in the United States, and the cool climate is perfect for Riesling.
Rieslings from Michigan are respected in national and international wine circles, often winning awards.
California
Riesling was officially first planted in California in 1861, known as "Johannisburg Riesling" or "White Riesling".
Today, Riesling is mostly grown in California’s cooler regions: Anderson Valley, Santa Barbara, and Monterey.
Ontario
Ontario is a cool climate region, and one of the few regions in the New World where Riesling is a signature variety.
With temperatures similar to the central Europe, some of the Riesling vineyards here are now older than 30 years and the quality of grapes improves with every vintage.
Riesling vs Chardonnay
Riesling will never be as popular as Chardonnay. For that, the grape is too acidic. It is in many ways the opposite of Chardonnay.
To appreciate Riesling, one must build up some tolerance for acid.
Riesling has a more exciting aroma profile than Chardonnay, and it also has greater elegance and finesse.
It displays strong flowers, citrus and tree-fruit notes (green to yellow apples) and high acidity. The best Rieslings takes the taste of the soil and exciting flavor combinations are often the result.
Good Riesling is a fresh and acidic wine with medium body, moderate alcohol content, and delicate aromas from the grape. Oak barrels are NOT needed here.
Fake Riesling
The most common abusers of the Riesling name are:
- Italico Riesling
- Welshriesling
- Laski Riesling
- Emerald Riesling.
These have nothing to do with the great German Riesling. All of these grapes make significantly simpler wines than real Riesling.