Riesling is a white wine made from the aromatic grape, which is the 20th most popular grape grown in vineyards all over the world. The wines made from this grape can be dry, sweet, semi-sweet or sparkling. They are one of the top three white wines, but the taste and aroma is highly dependent on the region in which the grapes are grown.



It is thought that the Riesling grapes originated in the Rhine region, where they are very abundant. However, research has shown that the cuttings were actually brought to France from Croatia by the Romans, giving this wine a very long history. It is a cross between the German grape Gouais Blanc and Traminer grapes from Italy. There are both red and white grapes, so you can have both red and white wines by this name.

Riesling (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Riesling) wines do age well, but are often consumed when they are young. At this age, the wines are very fruity with aromas of green apples, grapefruit, peaches, honey, rose blossom and fresh mown grass. They have a crisp and acidic taste. The high acidic quality permits extended aging of the wine.

There are barrels of this wine that are well-aged such as those in the German town of Bremen, which date back to 1653. The aging period of the wine depends on the type of wine winemakers want to have as the final result. Dry wines are allowed to age for 5 to 15 years, whereas 10 to 20 years is the norm for semi-sweet and 30 or more years for sweet wine.

Some Riesling wines are very expensive, especially those made from grapes that are allowed to hang on the vine for a period long after they are ripe enough to harvest. The grapes do become infected with noble rot, a type of gray fungus, but this helps the excess water to evaporate from the fruit.

In Germany freezing helps to remove the excess water which results in ice wine. The wine that results is very rich because of the high concentration of sugar in the grapes and is very pleasing to the palette. This combination of harvesting techniques and fermentation methods produces a white wine that is the longest lived of all wines with Gewurztraminer (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Gewurztraminer) coming in at a close second.

The terrain of the region affects that taste and aroma of Riesling wine. In Germany, this is the leading grape grown in vineyards. It ripens between late September and November, but is often not harvested until January. The wine is rarely aged in oak barrels and is known for its transparent quality with a good balance of mineral and fruity flavors.

The wines made from these grapes in Alsace have higher alcohol content because sugar is added during the production process. They are mostly dry, thick bodied wines that coat the palette. The tastes and aromas of Alsace Riesling wines tend to start to come out after aging for at least three years.

Riesling wine from Australia, not to be confused with Shiraz, is a lean wine with the aromas and flavors of toast, honeycomb and lime. In the wineries of this country it is very common for the wine to ferment in stainless steel casks that do not allow any oxidation to occur. When the wines are young they tend to have an oily texture and citrus flavors, but this balances out as they age.

Although Riesling is not planted in large quantities in California, it is produced as a late dessert wine. This wine tends to be softer and fuller than the German variety and have more diverse flavors. Wines from this grape produced in the Pacific Northwest in the states of Oregon and Washington range from dry to sweet with a crisp lightness that makes them easy drinking wines.