Monday: Ranting about Riesling
Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Last Friday I was ranting about the unwillingness of a dinner guest to even try a taste of a beautiful Riesling. I soothed myself by thinking, oh well, her loss and more for us. But I’m not over it.
It seems as though I am not the only one disappointed in the stereotype which the grape and wine, Riesling has hanging over it. A few years ago German wine producers began a campaign to bring better understanding of the grape, and the many styles of wine to which it lends itself. You see, German Riesling will often have a bit higher acidity and in order to have a well balanced wine, the acid is balanced by a touch of sweetness. It is most often a very sophisticated wine. However, perhaps after so many years of brainwashing, Americans somehow believe that only bone dry wine is “cool” and Riesling has become quite misunderstood. The varying levels of sweetness in German Riesling has less to do with the sugar than the levels of ripeness at harvest. The grapes can be fermented as dry as the winemakers elect. An effort has been made to help us understand and appreciate Riesling and although the
