Northwest
Riesling
by Jim LaMar
Because of both its cellar longevity and
its ability to maintain varietal identity while reflecting the individuality
of its terroir, Riesling may be the best of all the white wine grapes.
Its homeland is Germany, where it has been cultivated since the 1400s
or earlier, and where it is made into wines that run the gamut from bone
dry and crisp quaffers to the complex, unctuous nectars made from Botrytis-affected,
shriveled berries, individually late-picked, and known by the moniker
Trockenbeerenauslese.

Sometimes referred to as White, Rhine, or
Johannisberg, the Riesling name has been tarnished by the attachment
of its name to other white varietals (Grey Riesling--aka Chaucé Gris--,
Walschriesling--aka Italian Riesling--, and Missouri Riesling) that are
of far lesser quality and genetically unrelated to the true Riesling.
It does have distant relatives in the Sylvaner (or Franken) Riesling
and the crosses, Emerald Riesling (with Muscadelle du Bordelais) and
Müller-Thurgau (with Sylvaner). In Germany, there are more than 60 selected
Riesling clones available to meet various flavor and growing condition
criteria.
Riesling vines are particularly hard-wooded
and tolerant of cold weather and they bud late, so are well-suited to
the coldest wine-growing climes. Riesling is both moderately vigorous
and productive, yielding from three to six tons per acre. The berries
are small, round and soft when ripe, with tender, greenish-yellow skins
that have a flecked appearance from lenticels (lens-shaped pores) on
the skins. Hanging in compact, winged clusters and ripening later than
other varieties, bunch rot and non-beneficial molds can be a problem
if there is much rain or humidity during in the ripening season.
If dry conditions, however, follow a single
day of wet, Riesling grapes left on the vine beyond normal ripeness can
develop Edelfäule (Nobel Rot). The result of this ugly but non-toxic
mold, Botrytis cinerea, is the shriveling of the grapes, the evaporation
of much of the juice, and the concentration of the sugar. The German
names for this heirarchy, which ascends in order of the must weight or
degree of sugar concentration, are Spätlese (late-picked), Auslese (selectively-picked
bunches), Beerenauslese (selectively-picked berries), and Trockenbeerenauslese
(only the most affected berries), or TBA. These wines have not only incredibly
intense and concentrated flavors, but also remarkable life span.
Hillside microclimates which provide cool
climates and at the same time plenty of sun exposure, yet protection
from the winds are of paramount importance to quality Riesling. The best
German vineyards with these conditions on the Mosel River produce wines
that are unique in their low alcohol, powerful aroma, and high extract.
This grape also is very successful in Alsace, France. The nominees for
Best Supporting Appellation in California Riesling are: Santa Barbara,
Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Mendocino, while Washington and Oregon also
have done well. Other countries which grow Riesling with much dedication,
albeit generally lesser results, are Australia, South Africa, Chile,
Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Yugoslavia, and Italy.
Riesling has a powerful and distinctive floral
and apple-like aroma that frequently mixes in mineral elements from its
vineyard source and is often described as "racy." Its high
natural level of Tartaric acid enables it to balance even high levels
of residual sugar. The most frequently encountered (but not exclusive)
smell and/or flavor elements found in riesling-based wines include:
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Riesling Smell and/or
Flavor Elements
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Varietal Aromas/Flavors:
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Growing & Processing Bouquets/Flavors:
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Floral: woodruff, rose
petal, violet
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Petroleum: terpene,
diesel
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Stone Fruits: apple,
pear, peach, apricot
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Mineral: flint, steel,
gunmetal
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Tropical Fruits: (not
usually)
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.
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The light, delicately sweet flavor of simple
pan-fried-in-butter trout is especially good with Riesling. On the other
hand, grilled or sautéed sausage, with its range from savory to spicy,
also works well with this varietal. As with most foods, spices and sauce
should be the factors that determine the wine match, rather than the
color of the meat. Try a Riesling with Spicy Long Bean Beef Stir Fry
and you'll understand.
Jim
LaMar is editor of Professional Friends of Wine, instructs
Introductory Sensory Evaluation of Wine at California State University,
Fresno, and has been drinking, thinking, teaching and writing about
wine for 30 years. He is a member of Professional Friends of Wine.
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Riesling Dreams in Oregon
Cole Danehower
“Why don’t they grow more Riesling in the Willamette Valley?” asked
the Southern Oregon winery owner when I visited recently. “It’s
easy to grow and it should do well in the climate there.”
Why indeed?
Riesling has nearly become the “forgotten grape” of Oregon
. . . even as a few dedicated producers are beginning to make stunning
examples of this noble variety. Yet in fact, Riesling was the first vinifera
variety to be planted by Oregon’s early modern pioneers.
Richard Sommer (himself nearly the “forgotten pioneer”)
harvested his first Riesling vintage in 1963 at his Hillcrest Vineyard
in the Umpqua Valley AVA (Oregon’s “forgotten appellation”?).
Long-time Oregon wine fans that have tasted some of his earlier Rieslings
use a variety of superlatives, from “luscious” to “incredible” to
describe the wines. Other pioneers equally saw the potential of Riesling
and planted it widely in the Willamette Valley in the 1970s and 1980s.
But as Oregon winemakers started achieving
recognition for their success with Pinot noir, and as the broader market
tastes for white wines turned
to Chardonnay, and more recently Pinot gris, Riesling has been in decline
in Oregon. Wonderful old vine Riesling plants are being pulled up or
grafted over to more popular varieties, and the concept of actually planting
new Riesling is alien to all but the most dedicated producers.
In part,
that’s because us Oregon wine consumers don’t
really know how wonderful a good Riesling can be . . . and that is
in part because
few Oregon winemakers have chosen to bring out the full potential of
Riesling from this region. My own Riesling epiphany occurred at the
famous Alain Ducasse restaurant in Paris some years ago. When presented
with a two-inch thick, hand-written
and leather bound wine list, I decided that I was in over my head and
asked the sommelier to recommend a wine to go with our multi-course seafood
dinner.
In impeccable English the sommelier
asked if I liked Riesling. Thinking that I did not (because all I was
then accustomed to were sickly semi-sweet
versions), I nevertheless answered “Of course”—and
a good thing, too! The wine he served (a 1983 Alsatian Riesling
from Lorentz) was unbelievable: incredibly clear fruit, nut, and oil
flavors stacked upon a bright acid
core that was simply addictive. It complemented the seafood with such
perfection that for the first time in my life I could really see what
great wine was all about.
Great Rieslings are that good!
My Oregon Riesling revelation came at a small vertical tasting of all
the Rieslings produced by the Argyle winery in Dundee. Winemaker Rollin
Soles poured out samples of every vintage from 1988 through 1999. The
wines were simply superb. Fantastically rich in fruit flavors with a
fresh and vibrant feel, they demonstrated to me that Riesling can be
great in Oregon.
I’m
not alone in that belief. Harry Peterson-Nedry, owner and winemaker at Chehalem in
Newberg, (at right) says that the winery is engaged “in
a Don Quixote-like attempt to resuscitate Riesling in our great cool
climate . . .” Firmly dedicated to realizing the potential of New
World Riesling, Harry has been producing wonderful examples of what is
possible—and now he’s engaged on a mission to help consumers
understand the appeal of this great grape
Similarly, Jay Somers, who makes Rieslings
under his own J. Christopher brand and for the Holloran and Stafford
Hill label, is also a convert. “We’re
planting new Riesling,” he says, and comments that he’s always
on the lookout to find old vine Riesling vineyards hiding in Oregon’s
hills and dales. If the past few vintages of Jay’s Rieslings are
any example, the future holds great things for his Riesling releases!

Adam Godlee Campbell, Elk Cove
Adam Godlee Campbell, owner and winemaker
at Elk Cove Vineyards,
is another enthusiastic Riesling booster. “We’re hoping for
a resurgence of Riesling,” he says, and has put his money where
his mouth is by continuing to make wine from his 25-year old Riesling
vines, and from other sources that meet his standards. Argyle’s Rollin Soles—maker of so many excellent Oregon
Rieslings—is also fully committed to the varietal. Though there
is no current vintage of Argyle Riesling, it is not because of lack of
interest. Quite the contrary! Argyle has been planting new Riesling vineyards
and is planning to give the varietal new impetus in years to come with
redoubled releases.
Other prime Oregon Riesling producers are giving consumers an increasing
choice of tasty styles and approaches. These include Lemelson Vineyards,
Belle Pente, and Brooks, as well as Amity, Girardet, LaVelle, and Airlie.
Of course, the winemakers will only produce what we wine consumers will
buy. The key to better Riesling from Oregon is more people buying the
wine!
So why aren’t consumers attracted
to Riesling the way they are to, say Pinot gris?
One reason is because Riesling can
be made in so many ways—including
insipidly sweet and blandly weak—that most consumers don’t
have a consistent sense of what Riesling tastes like. When they buy a
bottle, they often receive a wine that is simple and pleasurable, but
hardly complex and profound. Usually it is sweet (or off dry) and is
seen as a “picnic wine” rather than a glorious accompaniment
to good food.
Of course, there is a Catch-22 at work
here. The reason consumers buy basic Rieslings is because they are
often very inexpensive . . . because
the wineries have learned that the high-yield, inexpensively made wines
sell better than the low-cropped, hand-crafted versions . . . because
consumers can’t see paying $20 for a wine they think should sell
for $8.
But the more expensive Riesling is often the better Riesling because
the winery has put more care and expense into producing a better wine.
Compare a $20 bottle of Chehalem of Holloran Riesling with an $8 bottle
of any other Riesling and the difference will be painfully plain!
So what should you do? Buy Oregon Rieslings
. . . pay a little more for them . . . and pay a little more attention
to them . . . and soon
you’ll find a whole new wine world opening up for you: the world
of New World Riesling!
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