Jesus drank Riesling?
Rebecca Taylor
I SPOTTED a fantastic T-shirt a while back that stated “Jesus drank Riesling”. The owner of this T-shirt was, of course, a winemaker.
One of the reasons Riesling is so attractive to winemakers is the variety of styles it can be made in, ranging from dry as a bone to decadently sweet, effectively giving them a canvas on which to paint their signature. Riesling doesn’t elicit the same enthusiasm in the people that really count, though – the people that actually buy the stuff. Despite the fact that there are many fantastic Rieslings being produced in New Zealand, we seem to be shy about buying it. My personal theory is that this versatility that makes Riesling so attractive to winemakers is the very same thing that turns off the punters. Versatility is great, but not when it causes confusion. So how do you know what you’re going to get when you crack that bottle?
The word ‘balance’ is one that crops up a lot when talking about wine, and Riesling in particular is a balancing act. It is a complex interaction between sugar and acid that determines the perceived sweetness or dryness of a Riesling, and this can be difficult to get your head around. The International Riesling Foundation has devised a sweetness scale that takes these interactions into account in classifying Riesling as dry, off dry, medium or sweet. This has been translated into an easily understood visual scale that wineries can put on their labels, and I hope more will adopt this practice. It’s nice to be able to see at a glance what to expect.
A fun demonstration of how much influence winemakers have over Riesling is the 2010 New Zealand Riesling Challenge. Basically, grapes from a single block on a Waipara vineyard were harvested and given to 12 different winemakers to coax into any style they wished. When I tasted through these 12 wines with some friends I was struck by how different they were. I guess what it highlighted for me was the dangers of dismissing Riesling altogether after a few bad experiences. There’s a Riesling out there for every taste, it just might take a few dates before you find the right one.
For a medium dry style, try Misha’s Vineyard “Limelight” Riesling 2010 – here fresh lime is complemented by some warm spice and citrus blossoms on the nose. On the palate the fruit is beautifully ripe, with friendly acids and a lingering hint of spice on the finish. ($27)
The Doctors’ Riesling is fast becoming something of a cult wine, very popular as a lower alcohol, sweeter style of Riesling, and the 2010 offering is no exception. Lime, apples a hint of sweeter citrus greet the nose, and the fruit character is a little sweeter on the palate. This wine is a good example of balance, as it contains a lot of residual sugar (44g/l), but poised acidity keeps it from being cloying. ($25.50)
Wine of the week - Clayridge Wild Riesling 08 - lovely Riesling from one of my favourite winemakers, Mike Just. This is fermented using wild yeast, hence the name, and made in an off-dry style. Lifted honey and florals on the nose, stonefruit and vibrant citrus on the palate with great texture from the yeast. Definitely worth searching out. ($27)
One of the reasons Riesling is so attractive to winemakers is the variety of styles it can be made in, ranging from dry as a bone to decadently sweet, effectively giving them a canvas on which to paint their signature. Riesling doesn’t elicit the same enthusiasm in the people that really count, though – the people that actually buy the stuff. Despite the fact that there are many fantastic Rieslings being produced in New Zealand, we seem to be shy about buying it. My personal theory is that this versatility that makes Riesling so attractive to winemakers is the very same thing that turns off the punters. Versatility is great, but not when it causes confusion. So how do you know what you’re going to get when you crack that bottle?
The word ‘balance’ is one that crops up a lot when talking about wine, and Riesling in particular is a balancing act. It is a complex interaction between sugar and acid that determines the perceived sweetness or dryness of a Riesling, and this can be difficult to get your head around. The International Riesling Foundation has devised a sweetness scale that takes these interactions into account in classifying Riesling as dry, off dry, medium or sweet. This has been translated into an easily understood visual scale that wineries can put on their labels, and I hope more will adopt this practice. It’s nice to be able to see at a glance what to expect.
A fun demonstration of how much influence winemakers have over Riesling is the 2010 New Zealand Riesling Challenge. Basically, grapes from a single block on a Waipara vineyard were harvested and given to 12 different winemakers to coax into any style they wished. When I tasted through these 12 wines with some friends I was struck by how different they were. I guess what it highlighted for me was the dangers of dismissing Riesling altogether after a few bad experiences. There’s a Riesling out there for every taste, it just might take a few dates before you find the right one.
For a medium dry style, try Misha’s Vineyard “Limelight” Riesling 2010 – here fresh lime is complemented by some warm spice and citrus blossoms on the nose. On the palate the fruit is beautifully ripe, with friendly acids and a lingering hint of spice on the finish. ($27)
The Doctors’ Riesling is fast becoming something of a cult wine, very popular as a lower alcohol, sweeter style of Riesling, and the 2010 offering is no exception. Lime, apples a hint of sweeter citrus greet the nose, and the fruit character is a little sweeter on the palate. This wine is a good example of balance, as it contains a lot of residual sugar (44g/l), but poised acidity keeps it from being cloying. ($25.50)
Wine of the week - Clayridge Wild Riesling 08 - lovely Riesling from one of my favourite winemakers, Mike Just. This is fermented using wild yeast, hence the name, and made in an off-dry style. Lifted honey and florals on the nose, stonefruit and vibrant citrus on the palate with great texture from the yeast. Definitely worth searching out. ($27)
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