grape goddess®
By Catherine Fallis

Yummy Varietal of the Week: Riesling

The world’s greatest white varietal, Riesling, has vibrant natural acidity, giving it longevity and the potential to make a very balanced and long-lived sweet or dry wine. Misunderstood, and for the most part unappreciated, the brilliant Rieslings of Germany,
Austria and Alsace are tremendous values for those who appreciate them.

Riesling has thrived in Germany since the 15th century, and quite possibly as far back as Roman times, most notably in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau and the Pfalz. The great German Rieslings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were as highly sought after as the top Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone wines of France. Unfortunately, much of what the world sees from the United States is no more than sugar water — slightly sweet, watery white wine that fills the bargain bins. With an increased awareness, a string of successful vintages, and the growing popularity of Asian fusion restaurants whose spicy, exotic flavors are so ideally pair with a tart, intense burst of green apple rather than another fruit bomb Chardonnay, the better quality wines are finally finding an audience on the international marketplace.

Rieslings from Germany, Austria, and Alsace range in styles from sharp, steely and minerally to fat, tropical and decadently sweet and rich. A high quality dry German Riesling is generally far lighter in alcohol than most other dry whites, averaging 8 percent rather than 13 percent. They’ll also stay fresh for months after opening due to their high natural acidity levels. Dry Austrian versions are particularly more pungent, stronger and sometimes herbaceous. Alsatian versions get fatter, richer and sweeter the more expensive they are. While the wine world clamors for the sweet Beerenauslese, very sweet Eiswein and extremely rare Trockenbeerensauslese styles from Germany and similar styles from Austria, the far more widely available Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling from Alsace is so vivid, pure, direct, minerally, and lingering that one could easily count it as of the top 10 wines of the world. Alsace also produces late harvest styles, the Vendange Tardive and Selection de Grains Noble, which are if not bone dry, then only slightly sweet.

New World versions are found in the United States and Australia where they range from dry to sweet. Better U.S. examples, most notably from Washington, Idaho and California (Monterey) are off-dry and minerally with green apple and peach flavors. The top Australian imports are tropical but dry, as are the New Zealand versions.

Riesling: green apple, peach, tropical, petrol, mineral, pungent, steel, bone dry to opulently sweet, vibrant acidity.

Enough is Enough

On a first date in the Napa Valley a few summers ago, my dinner companion arrived with a bottle of Napa Syrah provided by the hosting winery. I gently explained the two reasons I didn't think it was appropriate to open it. First, it was on the wine list, and second, I had no intention of obliterating my palate. I was excited about the food, and was determined to enjoy a balanced wine that would flatter it, not some super-ripe, concentrated, tannic monster.

Pity the man who thinks he can win me over with modern wine. Am I old-fashioned? You bet. Am I unfashionable in my wine tastes? Yes, sir. Will I give up lacy Riesling and tart, mouth-puckering Pinot Noir to drink killer Cab and monster Zin? I think not.

Wine has intrinsic tartness. This is one of the reasons it has graced dinner tables for so many centuries; tartness serves to stimulate the gastric juices as well as to cleanse the palate between bites. However, many of today's most highly rated wines are crafted to please the palate without the benefit of food. While enjoyable on their own as cocktails, these 100-point blockbuster-style wines are unbalanced and generally unsuitable for the table. They are donut wines — flashy, fruity and creamy on the outside, with nothing inside.

Last week, I recommend three full-bodied Syrahs — two from California and one from Argentina. All three were excellent examples of achieving balance while showcasing what nature gives you to work with. Not all Napa Syrah is a tannic monster; it has just been an unfortunate trend in the past few years. Thankfully, winemakers the world over are bucking the trend of making boozy cocktail wines, and instead are making wines that are subtle, understated, compatible with food and capable of aging whether it is popular with the bestowers of the points or not. This week’s varietal, Riesling, is, alas, quite the underdog despite being all of the above. Oak ruins it. It is white. And it is not Chardonnay. It has nothing to earn it big points but the residual sugar found in many versions.

SIP-worthy Events

Wild Mushroom and Tudor Pinot Noir
Friday, March 20
The Reserve, 17105 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill, 408-742-9863
Enjoy this great pairing at Morgan Hill’s hip wine bar just a few minutes south of San Jose.

Foggy Bridge Winemaker Dinner at Indigo
Monday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.; $69 per person plus tax and gratuity
Indigo, 687 McAllister St., San Francisco, 415-673-9353
Join Daryl Groom for a special four-course menu prepared by Chef Michael Whang and paired with Foggy Bridge Winery's newest releases.

Whiskies of the World Expo & Artisanal Spirits Fest 10th Annual Event
Saturday, March 28, 6 p.m.
San Francisco Belle (docked), Pier 3, Embarcadero, San Francisco
Enjoy Celtic music, artisanal spirits, cigars, and seminars.

St. Francis Winery's Winemaker Saturdays
Saturdays through August, 12–4 p.m.
St. Francis Winery, 100 Pythian Rd., Santa Rosa, 888-675-WINE ext. 255
Visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet, taste and talk wine with the passionate winemakers who craft it. Director of winemaking Tom Mackey, artisan winemaker Heather Munden, and winemakers Dennis Borell and Katie Madigan will make guest appearances on Saturdays in the Tasting Room. Ask as many questions as you want, walk the vineyards, taste barrel samples, and even get your bottle signed.


Catherine Fallis is the fifth woman in the world to have earned the title of Master Sommelier, and is also a Certified Wine Professional. To read more of her writings on wine, please visit www.planetgrape.com. E-mail: grapegoddess@yummyletter.com