While spending time with friends and family over Memorial Day weekend, I heard several people on separate occasions commenting on
how much they dislike Riesling. This is nothing new or unusual. Talking about what you like or don't like is part of the fun, and everyone has their own taste. What was interesting for me, is that their reason was always the same, Rieslings are too sweet. While it is true that there are many Rieslings that one could call "sweet," I think people would be surprised by the diversity of flavors that can be found in wines made from this grape. One of my favorite wines is a Riesling, so I decided to write something in defense of one of my favorite grapes!
When you talk about Riesling, you have to talk about Germany. Germany is famous for having great Riesling. But did you know that Australia, France, USA, and others also produce Riesling? Of course you did, but it sounded more dramatic to say it that way. If you are looking for a dry Riesling, they can be found in all the above mentioned places and more (for more information check out Riesling Rediscovered).
Dry Rieslings often have nice lime zest or mineral (or chalk/slate) taste to them.
What? You don't want to drink chalk? How does honey, apple or apricot sound? A bit more appetizing, right? All of these flavors and more can be found in
Rieslings.
Lately I have been enjoying some American Rieslings. With it being Memorial day weekend, I thought I would highlight two inexpensive wines from the USA, specifically, Washington State's Columbia Valley. With its cooler climate, Washington produces some nice, dryish Rieslings. We talked about Chateau Ste Michelle recently. They also make a nice Riesling, and the bottle has a handy-dandy scale if you are afraid of buying sweet wine (or just like scales). Chateau Ste Michelle makes both dry and sweet wines, but they clearly label the dry ones (so thoughtful of them!). Their dry Riesling has more of a citrus flavor to it. I would definitely call it fruity, it isn't like drinking glassful of chalk or minerals, but the citrus gives it a nice zest.
The other bottle I want to highlight is Kung Fu Girl. Great name, right?! I love the name. There is more to this wine than the name of course, but still, it's a fun one. Kung Fu Girl is another Washington state Riesling made by Charles Smith Winery. I have to admit that, out of these two Washington State wines, I prefer this one. There is a bit more lime and some minerality to this bottle that I enjoy. It is on the dry side and only about $10! Actually, both bottles retail for around $10.
I hope I have convinced you not to be afraid to try Rieslings. If you are still afraid of buying a bottle that turns out to be stomach-turningly sweet, check out the alcohol by volume percentage on the label. The lower the percentage, the more likely it is to taste sweet. For instance, the two bottles above are 12.5 and 12% respectively.
So, who is with me? Anyone going to try a Riesling now? Anyone have a Riesling they want to recommend?
