She was shocked how so many of the berries looked like blueberries as they were so tiny due to the sweltering conditions brought in by a hot spell that many in Europe had nicknamed “Lucifer.” The summer of 2017 had been a grueling growing season with the sun beating down like a fiery flame thrower, with no real reprieve from the hot punishment. No wonder then that Riesling ice wines rate among the treasures of wine.The heat had sucked so much energy from the winemaker who was walking through the vineyards, surveying the grape bunches hanging from the vines. Ice wines are concentrated, extremely refined wines with brilliant acidity, bright fruit flavours and sweetness from a grape, that can reach must weights of up to 250° Oechsle. Riesling also makes an ice wine of great pleasure. These are delicious aperitifs – or wonderful partners to fruity desserts or strong cheeses. The smell of dried fruit, honey, ripe pineapple and yellow peaches caresses the nose. The elixir from these individually hand-picked berries delivers concentrated flavours with bright Riesling acidity.
If the weather in the autumn is propitious, and it is neither too cold nor too dry, then there is nothing to stop the evolution of these rare sweet pleasures. Riesling is particularly suitable for these sumptuous varieties as it matures slowly and late, and the noble fungus can spread delicately around the grapes. Incomparable exquisite pleasures which have one thing in common: the noble rot (botrytis cinerea), which contribute further perfection to Riesling's aromas. Then there are the sweet treasures: Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. As the semi-dry variety, it is the ideal accompaniment to Asian cuisine. 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. When matured, they often have a noble dark greenish-blue tinge that promises maximum enjoyment to the connoisseur.Ī great grape like the Riesling plays out its strengths in a number of variations:Īs 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.
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. Unlike most other grape varieties the character of a Riesling depends on the type of soil it grows in. So much stylistic diversity from the one grape Thanks to German immigrants Riesling also advanced to other countries in the world, such as Australia, the USA and New Zealand. Riesling quickly spread into the German wine regions – particularly into the river valleys, whose heat-storing capacity was especially well suited to this variety. The term “Johannisberg Riesling”, commonly used in the United states, is derived from the Johannisberg vineyard in the Rheingau, the oldest surviving Riesling Viticulture this grape variety has introduced important new emphasis to the wine culture since the Middle Ages. 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. The Pfalz and the Mosel are the two largest Riesling-growing regions in the world. In an international comparison, German producers have a share of around 40% of global Riesling cultivation. With 24,049 ha cultivated in 2019, it covers nearly a quarter of all German vineyards. One can confidently speak of Germany as the home of the Riesling. At the beginning of the 19th century German Riesling wines were among the most expensive in the world! 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. Hints of apple, citrus, peach and apricot can be detected. Simply sniffing a Riesling is a great pleasure.
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