Riesling is a delectably fragrant and delicate wine that is all too frequently neglected. For decades, this wine’s robust and exquisite taste has been one of the wine world’s best-kept secrets. However, riesling’s reputation has been slowly increasing as wine fans throughout the world realize riesling’s distinct taste and adaptability. If you’re looking for a wine that’s both refreshing and trendy, riesling is your new best buddy.
This comprehensive riesling guide has been put to help you choose the ideal wine for your taste and the best cooler shop online.
While most riesling wines are on the sweeter side of the range, several winemakers now produce dry riesling. Dry riesling is less sweet and generally appeals to individuals who like leaner-tasting wines.
This article will answer all of your riesling-related questions, like “What is Riesling?” and how does it taste.
Riesling Wine: How Sweet Is It?
As previously stated, Riesling wine is available in several styles. However, because the most famous German rieslings are exceptionally sweet, wine buyers frequently equate riesling with sweetness. The bulk of Riesling wines made in other countries is dry or off-dry. Even Germany now produces several dryer-style riesling wines.
Although many people believe that all Riesling wines are sweet, the flavor profile of Riesling wine is diverse. If you are hesitant to try riesling because you don’t like sweet wines, look into the many dry Riesling wines on the market.
How Does Riesling Wine Taste?
The strong scents emerging from your glass, even when the wine is ice cold, begin the riesling tasting experience. The scents of Riesling wine are largely orchard fruits, such as nectarine, honey-crisp apple, pear, and apricot. Other calming smells such as jasmine, honeycomb, or lime zest may waft from your riesling in addition to delicious fruits.
Along with these mild aromas, you will detect a more obvious odor, such as petrol or petroleum wax. This characteristic aroma is caused by TDN, a natural chemical that develops when riesling wine matures. The trademark fuel note of riesling may be a favorable or bad quality according to your preferences.
In terms of flavor, Riesling wine has a high acidity level equivalent to that of lemonade. This acidity complements the wine’s usual citrus aromas and can be softened by the floral nuances. Younger riesling wines, made from unripe grapes, have more sour fruity notes like green apple, lime, and lemon, as well as floral smells like chamomile, jasmine, hawthorn, and wisteria.
Riesling wine from ripe grapes has rounder and more nuanced scents of peach, pear, grapefruit, apple, apricot, and other fruits. Sweet Riesling wines will have more apricot and peach flavors, and dry rieslings will have more apple and citrus aromas.
Some sweet Riesling dessert wines, especially those made with botrytized grapes, can develop sophisticated spicy aromas of ginger, cinnamon, and anise. Riesling wines that have been aged and refined for a longer period typically develop notes of fragrant honey, honeybee wax, and butter. While these refined scents may appear unusual, they are unexpectedly delightful and add a touch of class to the wine.
Aromas of candied apricot, fruit jam, dried fruits, almond, walnut, and moss are also typical in vintage sweet rieslings. Although Riesling wines are rarely aged in barrels, doing so can impart characteristic barrel aromas such as toasted oak, vanilla, and chocolate.
In summary, the following are the most prevalent riesling wine characteristics:
- Fruit flavors: Nectarine, apricot, peach, pineapple, apple, pear, lemon, and lime are among the fruity tastes found in Riesling wines.
- Other floral or earthy scents include jasmine, lemon blossom, ginger, honey, honeycomb, beeswax, and rubber, in addition to fruity undertones.
- Aromas of fuel, diesel, or lanolin can be detected in old Riesling.
- Alcohol content: Because Riesling wine has a low alcohol concentration, it is a pleasant wine to drink in bigger quantities.
- Acidity: Riesling wine has a high acidity level, which gives it a sharper and more acidic flavor. Despite its low alcohol concentration, Riesling’s strong acidity permits the wine to age in its bottle for decades without turning bad.