Riesling - The Rebirth

Riesling originated in the Rhine Valley of Germany around the 12th Century and quickly spread to Italy, France and Austria. It can be grown in many locations but produces its best expression in cool climates. It is a fruity, aromatic grape variety that can ripen late and still retain a high level of acidity. The variety of flavours that Riesling can produce vary greatly due to the climate and wine making methods used in its production.

Riesling makes up about 20% of Germanys total plantings and is used to produce all of Germany’s great wines. In cooler years it can fail to ripen in all but the best vineyards, which is why most German Rieslings have an alcohol content of about 10% or less. The German taste for sweet wines also means that fermentation is often stopped at about 8% to retain high levels of residual sugar. Flavours can range from green apples and melon through to petrol and kerosene when aged. (When I say petrol and kerosene I do not mean the kind of smell you get when you stick your head in a bucket of un-leaded, it is more subtle and less offensive than that.) The problem with all German wines is that without spending considerable amounts of money, the wine is usually sickly sweet with no particular flavours or aromas to back it up. But if you don’t mind splashing out on a good one it will never disappoint.

Riesling came to Australia with the influx of German settlers in the 1800’s. For a long time it was the most important white grape variety in Australia, but the quality of wines varied dramatically. Being a cold climate grape, the best Australian Rieslings are grown in the hills of the Eden Valley and the high altitudes of the Clare Valley, to allow the grapes to ripen slowly away from the intense heat of Australia. Tasmania is still in its infancy with wine production but Riesling is the obvious choice for white wine in this cool climate. Riesling is grown in many other regions but can sometimes lack the crisp acidity and abundant fruit that this variety can offer. Australian Riesling has plenty of citrus fruit flavours, particularly Lime and Lemon and can produce petrol flavours when made well, without the need for aging. Prices for Australian Riesling are very reasonable as they are not aged in expensive oak barrels, and their popularity is still recovering from the poor quality wines of the 70’s and 80’s that were not even Riesling. (Hunter Valley Riesling was actually Semillon, and the name Riesling was used on almost any poor quality sweet wine up until 2001.)

Riesling was late coming to New Zealand only being introduced in the 1970’s but has grown to be the third most planted white grape behind Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Marlborough is the main area of production and the wines can be crisp, delicate and have a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity. The growing of Riesling in New Zealand is an obvious choice, with their cool climate and use of stainless steel in the wine making process giving Riesling a fresh and tropical style that is becoming famous all over the world. Out of all the wine producing countries growing Riesling this is the one to watch.

Riesling is set to be a major player again in the international wine world with Alsace in France leading the way in Europe and New Zealand and even some of the highest Valleys of Chile and Argentina leading the new world styles. I have randomly selected 3 Rieslings all for about £7.99. Below are the tasting notes and scores that I have given them. All the information that I have provided is general information and as you will see from the tasting notes, there are always exceptions to the norm.


Fairleigh Estate, Single Vineyard Riesling, 2006, Marlborough, New Zealand
Clear pale lemon colour with a clean light aroma of petrol, toasted almonds and ripe pineapple. The palate is dry with loads of zesty acidity and flavours of lemon and lime with a medium finish. Could age for a few years and develop into a real treat.
Score: 6/10

Knappstein, Hand Picked Riesling, 2006 Clare Valley, Australia
Clear pale lemon in colour with a developing aroma of petrol and cedar. Dry with loads of acidity and a medium bodied lemony finish. A well balanced fruity style Riesling.
Score: 6/10

Weingut Dahmen, Riesling, 2005, Mosel, Saar, Germany
Clear pale lemon with a watery rim, and slight petulance. Clean light floral aroma with hints or honey dew. Medium-dry palate with slight flavours of Lemon and Honeycomb, with a short finish.
Score: 4/10