One of the best things to have come out of Germany is Riesling, a dry semi-sweet and sparkling white wine with a tart, acidic, ‘thirst-quenching’ quality that is rarely oaked and almost never fermented. Riesling is derived from the grape species Vitis vinifera, Germany’s leading grape variety, which has a sweet, fruity flavour and an almost perfumed aroma that is high in acidity which gives Riesling wines their crisp taste. Ripening between late September and late November, the Riesling harvest can last until late January, when Riesling can produce very sweet wines. Typically Riesling is often subjected to cold stabilization where the wine is stored just above freezing point so as to allow for any crystallization of tartaric acid before being filtered to remove any remaining impurities.
Whilst traditionally consumed when young, their high acidity and range of flavours (including aromas of flowers, tropical fruits, apples, peaches, honey, mineral stones such as slate or quartz and even that of cut grass) make Riesling ideal for aging. This is particularly true of some sweet Riesling wines, notably the German Trockenbeerenauslese, where the high sugar content provides for longer preservation. Typically, dry Riesling wines have an aging period of between 5-15 years, whilst for semi-sweet Rieslings it is usually 10-20 years, and for sweeter Rieslings it is anywhere between 10 and 30 years. However, as it ages, Riesling wines tend to develop what is known as a petrol note, caused by the emergence of dihydronaphthalene that is produced from carotenoid precursors by acid hydrolysis. Although this petrol resembling aroma in older Rieslings may be welcomed by some wine tasters, others find it offensive and off-putting.
History
With a long history stretching back to the 15th century when it is mentioned in the cellar log of the noble Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen in Rüsselsheim (a principality close to the Rhine) where it is referred to as RieBlingen. However, Riesling was further documented as Rissling in 1477 in the French region of Alsace and later in 1552 where it is given its modern spelling of Riesling. Hieronymus Bock refers to Riesling in 1552 and 1577 respectively in his book on herbs, where he mentions Riesling growing in ‘the Mosel, the Rhein and the environs of Worms’. The next significant historical date is 1716 when Prince-Abbey of Fulda bought the dilapidated Benedictine Abbey in Johannisberg in the Rheingau where 294,000 Riesling vines were planted in 1720 and 1721.
Growing Locations
Despite originating from the Rhine area, today Riesling wines are grown further afield in France, Austria, Italy and Australia. Although Riesling grapes enjoy prominent planting areas in these European countries as well as in America and Canada, Riesling favours colder regions, especially where there is slate and sandy clay soil and where the climate allows for long, slow ripening thereby resulting in a low yield with a more concentrated flavour.
Other names for Riesling
White Riesling wine is also known referred to as Rheinriesling or ‘real Riesling’ as well as Johannisberger or Johannisberg Riesling, so named after Schloss Johannisberg who discovered the positive benefits of the fungus Botrytis cinerea (‘noble rot’) in the late 18th century, where as a result of evaporation caused either by this fungus or by the freezing conditions of the later harvest, water was removed from the grapes. The resultant wine was of excellent quality, being more concentrated with more sugar and more acid (giving balance to the sugar) thus producing a more complex yet richer flavour.
Popularity
By the end of the 19th century, Riesling was the dominant grape variety in the Rhine area. However, by the end of the 20th century interest had waned with Riesling vines taking up only 57% of the Rheine area by 1930. Happily, it gained in popularity once more to become what the German nation regarded as one of their national treasures. Since 2004, Riesling was considered the world’s 20th most grown variety. Where quality wines are concerned, Riesling is almost always defined as being one of the top three white wine varieties together with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. By 2006, Riesling enjoyed popularity as the most widely grown grape variety in Germany, occupying an estimated 21,197 hectares, whilst in Alsace in France it occupied 3,350 hectares. Riesling has certainly enjoyed renewed popularity on the other side of the pond in recent years. In 2008, it was reported by the Nielson Company to have become the fastest growing white wine in America for the third consecutive year. Riesling wines sales have increased by 54% with wine lovers spending in excess of $33million on Riesling in 2007 than in the previous year.
Next time you desire a taste of a popular white wine, treat your taste buds to a glass or two of refreshing Riesling.
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