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Not All Riesling is Sweet
But they sure make it confusing.
by Mike Supple
published: 10 Mar 2010 | Comments
Riesling is a white wine. And despite the image that Blue Nun worked so hard to create in the 1970s, Riesling is not all low-quality, sickeningly sweet plonk that will strip the chrome off a bumper. Riesling comes in many styles ranging from dry to sweet, light- to full-bodied and low to high alcohol.
Originally hailing from Germany, high quality Riesling is now produced all over the world, including Alsace (France), Austria, Australia, New Zealand, California, Washington and New York. While the styles can vary slightly within each region, there are some typical characteristics you can expect from each.
- Germany
One of the coolest growing regions in the world. That, combined with the rich minerals in the soil, results in Riesling that is very light, aromatic and high in acid. The wines range from dry to sweet, and have flavors of jasmine, pear, apricot, peach and minerals. The high acid levels - and sometimes high sugar levels - can allow these wines to age well for decades, picking up richer flavors of honey, dried fruits and sweet petrol. German wine labels are incredibly difficult to read, and even the most knowledgeable wine expert can be confused as to which Rieslings are dry and which are sweet. The following list is by NO MEANS a guarantee, as the German words refer to how ripe the grapes were when they were picked, not how much sugar is in the finished wine, but they can provide a decent guideline as to the sweetness. In general German Riesling goes from less sweet to heavy-dessert in this manner: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese. These words are not on all German bottles, but those of higher quality will have one of these somewhere on the label. - Alsace
The climate here is warmer than in Germany, which results in rich, full-bodied Riesling that is mostly dry - although they do make some exceptional dessert Rieslings, but those are usually substantially more expensive. The flavors are similar to the wines of Germany, with a touch more tropical fruit. - Austria
Similar to Alsace - rich, full-bodied and usually dry. Often has a white pepper spice flavor in the finish. - Australia
Until the 1990s when it was overtaken by Chardonnay, Riesling was the most popular white variety grown in Australia. It still flourishes in some of Australia's cooler climate regions, and is best known in the Clare Valley and Eden Valley. The wines are most often made dry, but can be found in a sweet style. The biggest tell-tale sign that you're drinking Australian Riesling is a cool lime note in the aromas and flavors. - New Zealand
Often lumped together in people's minds with Australia, New Zealand is actually fairly far across the ocean and has distinctly different climates. Riesling from dry to sweet is produced in New Zealand, generally in the cooler regions of Marlborough (famous for Sauvignon Blanc) and Nelson. New Zealand Riesling also has a lot of citrus flavor to it, but is generally a bit lighter in body than its Australian counterpart. - California
Growing slowly in popularity, but still far behind Chardonnay. The warm climate of California lends itself to a style more similar to Alsace - full-bodied with tropical flavors. Many of the larger commercial wineries produce a Riesling that is simple and fairly sweet. Smaller boutique wineries - particularly in Mendocino - are making the rich, dry Alsatian style. - Washington
Somewhat of a cross in styles between Germany and Alsace - Washington State has cooler temperatures like Germany, but receives a lot of sunshine like Alsace. The result is a somewhat unique style of Riesling that is light in body, high in acid, and has bold, rich flavors combined with a touch of minerality. Peach is a common flavor found in Washington Riesling. Styles range from dry to sweet, and are often stated on the bottle to help the consumer. - New York
Riesling was brought to the Finger Lakes region of New York by German immigrants in the 19th century. The cool climate and mineral-rich soil is similar to the growing conditions of Germany. Riesling from New York is generally produced in a dry to off-dry (slightly sweet) style. It is high in acid and very aromatic with flavors similar to those from Germany.
When exploring Riesling, your best bet is to scour the label for hints about the sugar level. However, if you don't see any mention of dry, off-dry, sweet or late harvest (very sweet), then here's one last tip to help you get a vague idea: look at the alcohol content. Alcohol exists in wine because yeast turns grape sugar into alcohol. When not all the sugar is converted by the yeast, the final wine generally has a lower alcohol content. So if your bottle has an alcohol content between 7 and 9%, it's a pretty safe bet that it is fairly sweet. If the alcohol is above 11%, it's most likely pretty dry.
But remember, just because a Riesling has sugar doesn't mean it will taste sickeningly sweet! The naturally high acid levels act as a buffer for the sugar, so a great German Riesling with a good dose of sugar can still be a crisp, clean and refreshing treat on a hot spring day.
