The Riesling is a variety of white grapes universally known because it gives birth to perfumed, fresh and elegant wines. This variety comes from Germany (in particular from Mosella, on the Rhine from which takes its name Riesling Renano) and it is the nation’s best vineyard. It expresses itself in the best way in the area of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, in the Rheingau, in the Nahe and in the Pflaz or Palatinato. Its name comes from the German words “Reissende Tiere”, that means wild animals and that highlights it origin as a wild vineyard tamed. 

The Riesling is a delicate wine, particular and fine, with a great charm and a strong acidity. It has some characteristics like the resistance against the cold weather (thanks to its strong wood), like the late budding and maturation, that protect grapes from the spring freezing, and like a predisposition to the ageing, due to its acidity and to the dried extract two characteristic essential for the ageing of a white wine. The Riesling wine, in particular the traditional German, beyond the lightness of the body and the intense perfumes, it presents different level of sweetness, decided by the winemakers in order to balance the acidity. This proposes this wine in completely different typologies. Due to its acidity the Riesling is good also for the production of Sparkling wine.

In increasing order of sweetness we find the trocken or dry (Kabinett category) ideal for aperitif; then there are the late harvest versions, that expresses a bigger structure and are indicated with the name Spätlese, the Passiti Auslese, that can be attacked by noble mold, the Beerenauslese, botrytized Passiti, the Eiswein, that are made through the freezing pf grapes in winter (we’ve already talked about it in our blog, click here) and the Trockenbeerenauslese, in absolute the sweetest, that have an extreme exsiccation that gives birth to wonderful Passiti.

In France and in particular in Alsazia, borderland and once disputed with Germany, the Riesling is a more structured wine, it’s produced both dry and sweet (the sweet one in the Vendagne Tardive version, that means late harvest) and selection de Grains Nobles, produced with grapes attacked by noble mold. The Riesling can be found in other parts of Europe like Hungary, Austria or Croatia, and also in Italy. Thanks to its particular resistance against cold temperature, In Italy it can be found in the Alps, between Alto Adige, Trentino and Friuli, as also in the Oltrepò Pavese, near Pavia.

The German Riesling Renano cannot be confused with the Riesling Italico: this one comes from France and has settled in the Oltrepò Pavese; it creates wines with a better drinkability rather than the elegance typical of the first German one. 

Concerning pairings, the Riesling thanks to its versatility can be combined with the dishes from the entrée to the dessert. The younger ones as well as Sparkling wines, can be combined with fish, mollusks and crustaceans, while the more structured and aged ones can be combined with white meats and cheese.

From the expression of Riesling della Mosella by Bender to the expression of Alsazia by Spannagel, from the Austrian expressions by Taubenschuss and Stölzerhof to the Expressions by Alto Adige by Nals Margred or Villscheider, swipe up and discover all the expression of  Riesling in the shop.