{"id":7144,"date":"2020-03-28T17:31:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-28T22:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecorkscrewconcierge.com\/?p=7144"},"modified":"2020-03-28T17:31:37","modified_gmt":"2020-03-28T22:31:37","slug":"happy-birthday-german-riesling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecorkscrewconcierge.com\/2020\/03\/happy-birthday-german-riesling\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday \u2018Dear German Riesling\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If German Riesling isn\u2019t part of your wine rotation, you\u2019re doing it all wrong. Riesling just turned 585 and it is still going strong. The folks at Wines of Germany<\/a> have declared March 13, 1435 as the birthday of this quite noble variety, which coincides with the first documentation of the grape\u2019s existence. All things considered, it is looking damn good and doesn\u2019t appear to be a day over 500! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from my perspective, Riesling is hands down the most versatile wine pairing partner around. There is no better wine (IMO) that pairs so easily with so many foods. As a southern gal, I\u2019ve paired Riesling with everything from fried chicken to gumbo (it loves Cajun and Creole cuisine) to our beloved Tex-Mex, and even a plain old salad. It\u2019s just that capable of melding with so many cuisines. Even if I\u2019m making a choice between Riesling and Pinot Noir – both of which are often regarded as quintessential pairing wines – forced to choose, I\u2019m going with the Riesling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

And let me put it out there right now – all Riesling is NOT sweet!! It drives me batshit crazy that for large events, I have to hesitate to suggest a Riesling because of fear that people will stay away from it because they think it is sweet. Repeat after me: All Riesling is not sweet. All Riesling is not sweet. When in doubt, for German Riesling, look for \u2018Trocken\u2019 or \u2018Grosses Gew\u00e4chs\u2019 on the label. That being said, when made into a sweet wine, these are some of the most beautiful wines that will ever touch your lips. As you were…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riesling\u2019s versatility stems from the fact that it is capable of producing a variety of styles depending on where it is grown. It can be delicate with green fruit and floral notes when grown in a cooler climate. When it plays in warmer climates, it is more full-bodied and offers up rich citrus and stone fruits. And if left on the vine to create a late harvest or a dessert wine, it\u2019s naturally high acidity means that it can lead to well-balanced and downright ethereal sweet wines. Riesling\u2019s notable acidity provides it with the ability to age for years, even decades. Cue the petrol!<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Plus, all that acidity makes it fantastic for sparkling wine production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while Riesling is cultivated in a number of places including the USA\u2019s Finger Lakes and Washington State, Australia\u2019s Clare and Eden Valleys, Austria, Alsace, and New Zealand, it\u2019s spiritual home is undoubtedly Germany. With over 24,000 hectares (about half of the world\u2019s Riesling vineyards), Germany is home to the world\u2019s largest vineyard area dedicated to Riesling.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span> And just about every style of Riesling is produced there. And if you\u2019re watching your quarters, German Riesling generally provides amazing values and are quite budget-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding How to Buy German Riesling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, it\u2019s not always easy to know what to buy when trying to purchase a German Riesling. I\u2019ve actually \u201cconsulted\u201d with strangers in the store when they were trying to figure out what the heck they were buying. Well, I had their back and I have yours too. Trust me, it is worth a little bit of understanding to experience these great wines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, there are two primary categories of quality wine that you need to look for – Qualit\u00e4tswein (often abbreviated as QbA) and Pr\u00e4dikatswein. Many dry wines are labeled Qualit\u00e4tswein, though these wines can be medium sweet. As noted above, producers have tried to help us out and many times you\u2019ll see the word \u201ctrocken\u201d on the label which tells us the wine is dry. \u201cHalbtrocken\u201d or \u201cfeinherb\u201d usually refer to off-dry or medium sweet wines. Many of the best, dry Qualit\u00e4tswein will also bear the term \u2018Grosses Gew\u00e4chs\u2019 or \u2018GG,\u2019 on the label which refers to wines that come from the best vineyard sites. So if you see \u2018GG\u2019 and you want a dry wine, you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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German Wine Dryness and Sweetness Levels<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pr\u00e4dikatswein is the other category of quality wine and is divided into six sub-categories – Kabinett, Sp\u00e4tlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese (BA), Eiswein, and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). The first three are made in styles ranging from dry to medium sweet. The last three are sweet only wines. If you encounter a Kabinett, Sp\u00e4tlese, Auslese wine and it doesn\u2019t have additional information such as \u201ctrocken\u201d on the label and you\u2019re trying to figure out if it\u2019s sweet or dry, look at the alcohol level. Drier wines have less sugar and higher alcohol levels while wines with higher levels of sugar (meaning less sugar was converted to alcohol) have lower alcohol levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German Riesling I\u2019ve Been Drinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was sent a couple of different wines from the folks at Wines of Germany to toast the birthday wine. We were dining al fresco and were able to take our time and compare the two different Rieslings. And a simple salad with shrimp tempura was the perfect meal to enjoy these wines. We compared the 2016 Pauly Generations Riesling from the Mosel region and the 2017 Louis Guntrum Riesling from the Rheinhessen region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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