Riesling
The most misunderstood noble grape — as likely to be bone-dry as lusciously sweet, always honest about where it grew.
Key regions
- Mosel
- Alsace
- Clare Valley
- Eden Valley
- Rheingau
Flavor profile
Aging potential
5–40+ years for great German Auslese.
Riesling is the great terroir transmitter of the white wine world. Plant it on blue Mosel slate and it tastes of stone and petrol. Grow it in Alsace's warm, volcanic soils and it becomes richer, spicier, more flamboyant. In Australia's Clare and Eden Valleys it is almost always dry — a lime-zest and toast style unique to the continent. The range from completely dry to honeyed Trockenbeerenauslese makes Riesling uniquely versatile at table. It also ages spectacularly: a 20-year Mosel Spätlese takes on an almost petrol-like complexity that divides opinion and delights devotees.
Food pairings
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