the magazine of the german wine institute - Wines of Germany

18 TYPES OF GRAPE
RIESLING
the undisputed king
Simply sniffing a Riesling is a great pleasure.
Hints of apple, citrus, peach and
apricot can be detected. The purity of
fruit aroma combined with a unique fruit
acidity make the Riesling into one of the
greatest grape varieties in the world,
which has been experiencing a true
renaissance internationally in recent
years. At the beginning of the 19th century
German Riesling wines were among
the most expensive in the world!
One can confidently speak of Germany
as the home of the Riesling. After all,
over 22,000 hectares in German vineyards
are planted with Riesling which
is about 60 percent of all the Riesling in
the world. The Pfalz and the Mosel are
the two largest Riesling-growing regions in
the world. One of the first authenticated documents
which mentions growing Riesling in this
country is the invoice from a winery in Rüsselsheim
to the Count of Katzenelnbogen for
“six vines of Riesling planted in the vineyard”,
dated 13th March 1435. Due to monastic
viticulture this grape variety has introduced
important new emphasis to the wine culture
since the Middle Ages. The term “Johannisberg
Riesling”, commonly used in the United States,
is derived from the Johannisberg vineyard in
the Rheingau, the oldest surviving Riesling
vineyard in the world. Riesling quickly spread
into the German wine regions – particularly
into the river valleys, whose heat-storing capacity
was especially well suited to this variety.
Thanks to German immigrants Riesling also
advanced to other countries in the world, such
as Australia, the USA and New Zealand.
Unlike most other grape varieties the character
of a Riesling depends on the type of soil
it grows in. Heavy clay soils promote a citrus
fruit aroma, new red sandstone ensures a taste
of apricot in the wine, and slate soils create a
concise mineral note which is at times reminiscent
of flint. Riesling wines can age beautifully.
When matured, they often have a noble
dark greenish-blue tinge that promises maximum
enjoyment to the connoisseur.
A great grape like the Riesling plays out its
strengths in a number of variations: As a
“Winzersekt” (winegrower’s sparkling wine),
as a light Kabinett wine, as a noble Spätlese
(late harvest) or precious ice wine – regardless
whether created dry, semi-dry or noble
sweet. Riesling is wonderfully refreshing in
this diversity and as a food companion goes
particularly well with fish and poultry dishes
with light sauces, or vegetable ragout. As the
semi-dry variety, it is the ideal accompaniment
to Asian cuisine. And then there are the
sweet treasures: Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
Incomparable and extremely
durable pleasures which have one thing in
common: the noble rot (botrytis cinerea) gives
the Riesling aromas further perfection. The
Riesling is particularly suitable for these
sumptuous varieties as it matures slowly and
late, and the noble fungus can spread around
the grapes with all possible care. If the weather
in the autumn plays along and it is neither
too cold nor too dry, then there is nothing to
stop the sweet pleasures.
The elixir from these individually hand-picked
berries delivers concentrated flavours with
bright Riesling acidity. The smell of dried fruit,
honey, ripe pineapple and yellow peaches caresses
the nose. These are delicious aperitifs
– or wonderful partners to fruity desserts or
strong cheeses. Riesling also makes an ice
wine of great pleasure. Ice wines are concentrated,
extremely refined wines with brilliant
acidity, bright fruit flavours and sweetness of
a grape, which can reach must weights of up to
250° Oechsle. No wonder then that Riesling ice
wines rate among the treasures of wine.