Why are many casual wine drinkers reluctant to try riesling? In a few instances, I have found that people have a vague antipathy to tall bottles or are reluctant to order wines they might mispronounce. More often, though, I find that riesling-phobes assume, mistakenly, that they don’t like sweet wines and that all rieslings are sweet.
But riesling – like any other grape variety – can produce wines that are either sweet or bone-dry, depending on how they are handled by winemakers. All wines are necessarily made from grapes with sweet juice, as it is the sugar in the juice that is fermented into alcohol by yeasts.
Winemakers can either make sweet wines by terminating the fermentation process while some sugar is still present in the juice, or they can encourage the yeast cells to finish their feast and leave the wine perfectly dry. Dry rieslings do exist, and there are many fine varieties.
If you like dry wines and have assumed that rieslings aren’t for you, I can recommend some dry renditions that may really stand as revelations. If you like dry wines but haven’t really tested whether you might also like sweet ones, I can recommend some excellent rieslings in this style as well.
You’ll find that the wines listed below are easy to use, since every one of them can be enjoyed as an aperitif for sipping solo and as a stand-in for white wine at the table. The sweeter wines also can be excellent with food if the dish has a little hot spice to counterbalance the wine’s sweetness, or if the dish is a little sweet itself.
Wines are listed in order of preference within the categories, with regions of origin and approximate prices.
Dry
Schlumberger (Alsace, France) 2002 ($15): Lovely green apple fruit with interesting mineral complexities.
Kim Crawford (Marlborough) Dry 2004 ($18): Fresh and bright, with vivid fruit notes of apples and apricots and excellent acidity.
Annie’s Lane (Clare Valley, South Australia) 2003 ($17): Subtle but still substantial and satisfying, with complex aromas and zesty citrus notes in the finish.
Also recommended: Wolf Blass (Clare and Eden Valleys, South Australia) 2002 ($16); Hugel (Alsace) 2002 ($18); Jim Barry (Clare Valley) The Lodge Hill 2004 ($17); Longview (Adelaide Hills, South Australia) Iron Knob 2004 ($18); Rosemount Estate (South Eastern Australia) 2002 ($8.50).
Off-dry
Pikes (Clare Valley) 2003 ($17): Refreshing lemon and lime fruit notes work beautifully with just a hint of sweetness in the finish.
Riefle (Alsace) Classique 2002 ($17): This features apple and pear fruit, with accents of nuts and smoke.
Mitchell (Clare Valley) Watervale 2002 ($20): Lime and green apple fruit with ripe acidity and the faintest streak of sweetness.
Also recommended: Marc Tempe (Alsace, France) Zellenberg 2001 ($23); J.B. Adam (Alsace) Reserve 2003 ($16).
Lightly sweet
Dr. Wagner (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany) Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett 2003 ($19): Snappy green apple fruit, with perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.
Michelle Loosen (Columbia Valley) Eroica 2004 ($24): The pricey but persuasive result of a joint venture between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen from Germany.
Domaine Riefle (Alsace) Grand Cru Steinert 2001 ($33): Fully mature but still refreshing, with baked apple fruit and fine mineral notes.
Moderately sweet
Joh. Haart (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Piesporter Goldtroepfchen Riesling Kabinett 2003 ($20): Fresh and crisp but packed with ripe tropical fruit flavors.
Kurt Hain (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Piesporter Goldtroepfchen Riesling Kabinett 2003 ($20): Lush mandarin orange fruit with just enough balancing acidity.
Haehn (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Piesporter Michelsberg 2004 ($8): Simple but fresh and juicy at a great price.
Sweet
Joh. Haart (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Piesporter Goldtroepfchen Riesling Spaetlese 2003 ($22): Its papaya and mandarin fruit is full and flavorful.
Stephan Ehlen (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Erdener Treppchen Spaetlese 2002 ($19): Soft and lusciously sweet, but still fresh and balanced.
Gessinger (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spaetlese 2002 ($17): Complex aromas and flavors are well-integrated, and its sweetness and acidity are effectively counterbalanced.
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