Rieslings

Regional Variations:

Germany

German riesling is rarely blended with other varieties or exposed to oak, which allows the grape’s natural flavors to shine through. A third of the country’s riesling grows in the Mosel Valley. One of the country’s 13 winemaking regions, the Rheingau has spawned many of the nation’s best wine innovations and is home to some of the most notable winemakers, such as Schloss Johannisberg. Finally, Pfalz is a warm, productive region that grows ample riesling grapes with rich flavors.

France

Located on the west bank of the upper Rhine, the Alsace region in France has been home to riesling since the late fifteenth century. More than 20% of Alsace’s vineyards are dominated by riesling vines. Alsace riesling has a higher alcohol content than German riesling due to subtle changes in climate and production process.

United States

German immigrants brought their riesling winemaking traditions with them to the U.S. in the late nineteenth century. Riesling is produced in significant quantities in Washington State, Michigan, and the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Australia

Despite its hot climate, riesling is also gaining traction in Australia. Major Australian riesling producers include the Clare Valley, Eden Valley, and High Eden regions.

New Zealand

The cooler climate of the area around Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island lends itself well to riesling production.

History

In the March of 1435, Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen’s 22-shilling purchase of six Riesslingen vines (later becoming known as Riesling) from a Rüsselheim vineyard gave us our first recorded mention of the new white grape variety, with its genetic makeup hailing from a vine native to Gaul in modern-day France.

The Count was well-known for his love of wine as well, having a special gold-plated silver tankard crafted especially for the consumption of glühwein.

The origins of the name ‘Riesling’ remain somewhat mysterious. Two conflicting theories from the 15th century suggest Riesling derives from Russling, meaning dark wood, or Rissling for poor blossoming – a nod to the vine’s poor bloom during harsh weather.

The history of Riesling wine began peacefully, with the viticulture being quietly tended to by monks and noblemen throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. Listed in German Botanist Hieronymus Boch’s beautifully illustrated Kreutterbuch of 1577, Boch describes Riesling as “growing on the Moselle, Rhine and the district of Worms”.

That said, it wasn’t for another two hundred years that Riesling took its place as Germany’s most popular white wine. Following the Thirty Years’ War and the French taking control of the Alsace region, destroyed vineyards were replanted with Riesling, a trend that continued decades later with the Archbishop of Trier’s 1787 decree that Riesling varietals should replace the spoilt vines of the Rhineland.

As the Riesling vine continued to dominate the Rhine Valley, Riesling had become a highly sought-after, fashionable wine by the 1850s, fetching higher prices than those of Bordeaux or Champagne.

World Wars I and II brought further destruction to the region’s vineyards, and in the aftermath, earlier ripening vines became the preferred choice, putting a halt to the production of Riesling.  It wasn’t until 1996 that the history of Riesling wine took a turn for the better, becoming the most widely planted vine in Germany once again.

Moselle River  Germany

Running through Germany and the French region of Alsace, the Rhine and Moselle are the life force of Riesling, with 56,000 acres surrounding the rivers dedicated to the cultivation and production of the wine.  One-third of Germany’s Riesling is grown here. The sun-soaked vineyards that cling to the slate hills create the ideal environment for cultivating light, naturally fruity Riesling.

The Moselle Valley was once an ocean, and during the Palaeozoic era, merging continents compacted the sea floor, creating slate. Slate substrate causes difficulty for most standard farming practices – however, these soils are perfect for cultivating wines, namely Riesling wine.

As the river sculpted the Rheingau Mountains, underlying rock became exposed to the valley. Eons of weather events later, including the ice age winds carrying vital minerals, the perfect environment for the Riesling vine came into existence. The geology combines perfectly with the region’s climate, allowing Riesling to thrive in the wind-sheltered slopes, mineral-rich soils, and temperate, elevated climes.

In Rheingau’s wine-producing town of Rüdesheim, the former Cistercian monastery of Eberbach Abbey stands in testament to Riesling’s rich past. Once home to the vastest vineyards of medieval Europe, it was here at Eberbach that late harvest wine, Spätlese, originated. Today, hundreds of the estate’s hectares remain dedicated to cultivating a contemporary Riesling steeped in tradition.

Today, the stunning Moselle River weaves through the spectacular landscape. In 125 towns, almost 5,000 winegrowers nurture their wines in a region of dramatic and challenging terrain. The Moselle Valley is home to some of the steepest vineyards in the world, and sharp inclines require most of the region’s wine to be picked by hand. The arduous picking process occurs on vertiginous slopes, with some sites built upon an astonishing 70-degree gradient. Since the majority of wine produced here remains in the region, it’s an ever-popular location among Riesling enthusiasts.