Wine & Spirits
Riesling is a white wine from the Rhine region of Germany. It’ s now grown all over the world and is known for high acidity and its dynamic range of styles, from dry to very sweet.
It ages well, developing more complex notes over time.
HISTORY Rieslings were first bottled around the 15th century. An inventory from 1435 from Count John IV of Kazenelnbogen lists 22 Riesling cuttings for the vineyard. It was also mentioned in 1552’ s herbal by Hieronymus Bock and in Alsace in 1477.
FLAVOR Young Rieslings have fruity notes of apple, peach, grapefruit, rose blossom or cut grass and a crisp, acidic taste. However, that acidity also lends itself to aging, especially the sweeter Rieslings. In Bremen, Germany, the town cellar has Rieslings going back to 1653.
Some aged Rieslings can have a petroleum note that can be off-putting but are desirable to experienced Riesling lovers. It comes from a compound created during the aging process, most commonly in ripe grapes with high sun exposure and some water stress. It’ s more likely to develop in top wines.
What Is a
Riesling?
RIESLING AND TERROIR
Riesling is a variety particularly suited to showing off the characteristics of the land that grows it, known as terroir. In Germany, warmer regions produce a full-bodied wine with higher alcohol levels whereas in colder regions, where winter often stopped fermentation, wines have more natural sugars.
Rieslings from the Alsace region of France tend to be very dry with a thick body and an acidity that cleans the palate. They age well up to 20 years, opening up the softer, fruitier flavors in an Alsace wine. In Australia and New Zealand, the Riesling grapes grow in a well-draining soil over limestone and shale. These grapes have a thicker skin and come with a toasty, lime and honey flavor. Citrusy flavors mellow to a fresh white wine as it ages.
Rieslings came to the United States in the nineteenth century with New York adopting the vines early and becoming a top producer of a Riesling-base dice wine. California Rieslings trail chardonnays and tend to be softer and more full than a traditional German Riesling. Washington State produces Rieslings that range from dry to sweet with a crisp lightness and a peachy, mineral flavor.
30 • SEKY- Southeast Kentucky Life June 2026