
Riesling
Learn about Riesling — taste profile, popular regions and more ...
A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. It can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and the best exmples can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Riesling is best known in Germany and Alsace, and is also of great importance in Austria. The variety has also been particularly successful in Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys, New Zealand, Washington, cooler regions of California, and the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Tasting Notes for Riesling
Riesling can be a sweet or dry white wine. In any case it usually has a high acidity and stone fruit, citrus, spice and floral notes. At its ripest, it leans towards juicy peach, nectarine and pineapple, while cooler climes produce Rieslings redolent of meyer lemon, lime and green apple. With age, Riesling can become truly revelatory, developing unique, complex aromatics, often with a hint of petrol.
Perfect Food Pairings for Riesling
Riesling is quite versatile, enjoying the company of sweet-fleshed fish like sole, freshly shucked oysters and most Asian food. Sweeter styles work well with fruit-based desserts.
Sommelier Secrets for Riesling
It can be difficult to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling, and German labeling laws do not make things any easier. Look for the world “trocken” to indicate a dry wine, or “halbtrocken” or “feinherb” for off-dry. Some producers will include a helpful sweetness scale on the back label—happily, a growing trend.
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Brown Brothers Patricia Noble Riesling (375ML half-bottle) 2015Riesling from Victoria, Australia
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Burklin-Wolf Riesling Wachenheimer Auslese (375ML half-bottle) 2015Riesling from Pfalz, Germany
- WS
- W&S
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Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Heiligenstein 2015Riesling from Kamptal, Austria
- WE
- RP
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Bishop's Peak Dry Riesling 2015Riesling from Edna Valley, Central Coast, California
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Dr. Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Kabinett Riesling 2015Riesling from Mosel, Germany
- WE
- RP
- WS
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Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling 2015Riesling from Eden Valley, Barossa, South Australia, Australia
- JS
- WS
- RP
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Nigl Dornleiten Riesling 2015Riesling from Kremstal, Austria
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Lawson's Dry Hills Riesling 2015Riesling from Marlborough, New Zealand
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Brundlmayer Steinmassl Riesling 2015Riesling from Kamptal, Austria
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Trimbach Riesling 2015Riesling from Alsace, France
- WE
- JS
- WS
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Heinz Eifel Riesling Spatlese 2015Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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d'Arenberg The Dry Dam Riesling 2015Riesling from McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
- WE
- WS
- JS
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J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett Riesling 2015Riesling from Mosel, Germany
- WS
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Eden Road Canberra Riesling 2015Riesling from Australia
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Boundary Breaks Ovid Line North Riesling 2015Riesling from New York, Other U.S.
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Dunham Cellars Four Legged White 2015Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Best's Great Western Riesling 2015Riesling from Victoria, Australia
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Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Riesling 2015Riesling from Alsace, France
- WE
- WS
- JS
- RP
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Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2015Riesling from New York, Other U.S.
- JS
- W&S
- WE
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St. Urbans-Hof Estate Riesling QbA 2015Riesling from Mosel, Germany
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Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2015Riesling from Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia
- RP
- W&S
- WS
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Red Newt Cellars The Knoll Riesling 2015Riesling from Finger Lakes, New York, Other U.S.
- JS
- WE
- RP
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Pierre Sparr Riesling 2015Riesling from Alsace, France
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Poet's Leap Riesling 2015Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington
- CG
- WS
- RP
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J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese Riesling 2015Riesling from Mosel, Germany
- JS
- RP
- WS