Riesling

The first thing that comes to mind when I mention Riesling to people is - oh I don’t like a sweet wine. Let’s dig a little deeper into the Riesling grape variety from Germany. Riesling, Germany’s leading grape variety is a white grape which originated in the Rhine region. German wines are categorized by the degree of ripeness, which is determined by the sugar content in the grapes measured upon harvest. If you don’t see the name Riesling on the label, then there is little chance that the Riesling grape was used in the wine.

Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed aromas. It is almost never fermented or aged in new oak, which means that Rieslings tends to be lighter weight and therefore suitable to a wider range of foods. Riesling is versatile for pairing with food also because of its balance of sugar and acidity.
The levels of ripeness that will help acquaint you with the type of Riesling that fits your style are below. These are in order of increasing potential alcohol, which generally translates into body or sweetness. Also, you can look for these words on the bottle.

Kabinett: This is a light semi-dry wine, generally low in alcohol (8-10%).
Food pairing: Asian food, seafood, and shellfish.

Spatlese: (Late Harvest) These grapes are picked after the normal harvest. These wines will have more body and be intense in flavor. You might see the words halbtrocken (medium dry) to trocken (dry) on the label.
Food pairing: pork, scallops Thai food, Crème Brulee, smoked salmon.

Auslese: (Select Picking) This is the harvest of selected extra ripe grape bunches. Again this will yield a more intense flavored wine. Most Ausleses are lush, with some sweetness.
Food pairing: rich chesses, desserts (peaches, pears and apple).

Beerenauslese: (Berries Select Picking) these grapes are picked out individually from the grape bunches. With this level of wines these become truly sweet. These are the very rich desert wines from which Germany is noted for.
Food pairing: Foie Gras, desserts.

Trockenbeerenauslese: (Dry Berries Select Picking) the harvest of selected individual grapes that are overripe and shriveled like raisins. These wines are rich and sweet honey like. These will be the most expensive wines.
Food pairing: salty cheese (i.e. Blue), fruit desserts, and Foie Gras.
If you have not tried a German Riesling in a while, give it another try! They are a great, versatile food-friendly wine.

Until next time, cheers!