Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Alsace (France), Austria, Germany (see German wine), and northern Italy. It is a very old grape, first documented in 1435, in which year the storage inventory of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (a small principality on the Rhine) lists the purchase of six barrels of riesslingen from a Rüsselsheim vintner. The modern word Riesling was first documented in 1552 when it was mentioned in Hieronymus Bock`s Latin herbal.
The most expensive wines made from Riesling are late harvest dessert wines, produced by letting the grapes hang on the vines well past normal picking time. Through evaporation caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea (`noble rot`) or by freezing, as in the case of ice wine (in German, Eiswein), water is removed and the resulting wine offers richer layers on the palate. These concentrated wines have more sugar (in extreme cases hundreds of grams per liter), more acid (to give balance to all the sugar), more flavors, etc. Due to its concentration, late-harvest Rieslings are among the longest-lived of all wines. The beneficial use of `noble rot` was discovered in the late 18th century at Schloss Johannisberg. Permission from the Abbey of Fulda, which owned the vineyard, to start picking the grapes arrived too late and the grapes had begun to rot, yet it turned out that the wine made from them was still of excellent quality.
Production
In wine making, the delicate nature of the Riesling grape requires special handling during harvesting to avoid crushing or bruising the skin. Without this care, the broken skins could leak tannin into the juice, giving a markedly coarse taste and throwing off balance the Riesling’s range of flavors and aromas.
A wine that is best at its “freshest” states, the grapes and juice may be chilled often throughout the vinification process. Once, right after picking to preserve the grapes` more delicate flavors. Second, after it has been processed through a bladder press and right before fermentation. During fermentation, the wine is cooled in temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks kept between 50-65F. (Unlike red wines that normally ferment at 75-85F)
Unlike Chardonnay, most Riesling do not undergo malolactic fermentation. This helps preserve the tart, acidic characteristic of the wine that gives Riesling its “thirst-quenching” quality. (Producers of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio often avoid malolactic fermentation for the same reason.) Riesling is often put through a process of cold stabilization, where the wine is quickly chilled to just above the freezing point. The wine is kept at this temperature until much of the tartaric acid has crystallized and precipatated out of the wine. After this, the wine is normally filtered again to remove any remaining yeast or impurities.
In viticulture, the two main components in growing Riesling grapes are to keep it ``Long & Low`` meaning that the ideal situation for Riesling is a climate that allows for a long, slow ripening and proper pruning to keep the yield low and the flavor concentrated.
With food
Riesling is a very versatile wine to have with food, because of its balance of sugar and notable acidity. It can pair with white fish, or with pork, and it is one of the few wines that can stand up to Thai and Chinese cuisine. Riesling`s typical aromas are of flowers, tropical fruits, and mineral stone (such as slate or quartz), although, with time, the wine acquires a petrol or kerosene note that may be immediately arresting to new drinkers of Riesling while others may find it alluring. Stored well, Riesling can remain drinkable for over a century. It is almost never oaked, which tends to lighten its profile and increase its suitability with many foods. The sharp acidity/sweetness in Rieslings can serve as a very good balance to foods that are high in salt content. In Germany, Rieslings are sometimes cooked with cabbage to help taper the smell.
This article is based entirely or in part on the
Riesling wikipedia article
and is licenced under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation Licence.
Contact
If we can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact us, or drop by the Rose & Crown during business hours:
email: roseandcrown@alderney.ws
phone: +44 (0) 1481 823414
fax: +44 (0) 1481 823615
The Rose & Crown Hotel
Le Huret,
Alderney
UK Channel Islands
Delivery on Alderney is free :-) we deliver Monday to Saturday between 10am and 1pm.
Please note that we cannot deliver off-island.
|
jump to:
[all products]
[spirits]
[beer & cider]
[wines by grape]
[liqueurs]
[soft drinks]
| next page >> [order by price]
[order alphabetically]
In this categoryBacharacher Riesling 1996 Jost Mr
Off dry with a crispness and grapey flavour making it an ideal summers day drink. [read on...]
A B V: 9.5% Vintage: 1996 Color: Country: Germany Region: Rhine Code: 14675
Bacharacher Schloss Stahleck Kab Trocken 92 Litre
[read on...]
A B V: 10% Vintage: 1992 Color: Country: Germany Region: Rhine Code: 2338
Bacharacher Wolfshohle Riesling Kabinet 1992Mades
A sublime example of Kabinett quality from the top Wolfshohle vineyard in Bacharach, one of the very best wine regions in Germany. Delicate, fine just off dry with a touch a raisin in the flavour. [read on...]
A B V: 9% Vintage: 1992 Color: Country: Germany Region: Rhine Code: 2320
Dorsheimer Pittermn Riesling Kab Halbtrocken 97
A wine of great interest. Well rounded, elegant, silky fruit and a dry/ sweet balance to please both dry and medium dry wine enthusiasts. [read on...]
A B V: 10% Vintage: 1997 Color: Country: Germany Region: Rhine Code: 41251
Jordan Mellifera 2010 Half Bottle
Alc 11. 5% A limited release wine produced friom a small 24 year old Riesling vineyard. The botrytis grapes (pourriture noble) grapes were hand selected at harvest and with the utmost patience the juice was pressed from the raisined berries taking a whole day. Rich and unctuous this gem is delicate with floral and fresh ripe apricot bouquet with a limey citrus twist. Sun dried peach and apricot flavours with a well balanced acidity add elegance to the long rich. Offers the perfect ending to a meal. An especially good marriage with creme brulee or blue cheese. Note: Mellifera is the name of the Cape Honey Bee. [read on...]
A B V: 11.5% Vintage: 2010 Color: white Country: South Africa Region: Eastern Cape Code: 75674
[1] [order by price]
[order alphabetically]
|
