Riesling wines: facts and fiction

By JACK BERNINGER
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: June 18, 2008

Mention Riesling, and the first thought for many wine drinkers is sweet, sweeter and sweetest.

Think again, says Brad Hemp, manager of Bella Vino in the Stony Point Fashion Park shopping center.

“Although Riesling often tastes sweet, the fact is that most Riesling is now made in a dry style,“ said Hemp, who calls Riesling the “greatest white wine grape in the world.“

What then are the characteristics of a Riesling?

“Ideally, a Riesling will be very aromatic, smelling of fruits ranging from apples to apricots to pineapple, along with hints of smoke or petrol,“ Hemp said. “On the palate, you should perceive similar fruit flavors along with a significant mineral note. Finally, a Riesling should have a crisp and enduring finish.“

Still, the perception of sweetness exists, and Rieslings, whose flavors vary from region to region, are not a wine of choice for most people.

“I think there are two main reasons why Rieslings are not as popular as they should be,“ Hemp said. “The first is that most of the Riesling that is readily available at supermarkets, restaurants, and even at many wine shops is of a poor quality. They are often dull, mass-produced wines that are meant to attract people with their sweetness alone, rather than their quality.

“The second reason is that there is a widespread belief that all Riesling is sweet and that sweet wines are somehow inherently bad. In fact, the majority of Riesling around the world, even in Germany, is dry. Even when a Riesling is sweet, if it is a good wine, then the sweetness has been included to balance out the wine’s acidity; it is not there to make it more palatable to certain customers.“

“Furthermore, sweetness does not automatically make a wine bad. In fact, some of the greatest and most expensive wines in the world are sweet.“

Hemp is so adamant about making Riesling as familiar to wine drinkers as Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio that he’s hosting an event he lovingly calls “Riesling Revelation” on June 26 from 8 to 9 p.m.

You’ll have a chance to test numerous quality Rieslings—one is a 1979 vintage. Cost is $15 a person, $25 for two, and for that you get Riesling (sweet and dry), food and Hemp’s enthusiasm and expertise.

Whether you attend the Bella Vino event or go to your favorite wine store, the time is right to test new waters.

“Good Riesling is the epitome of what a great wine should be: expressive, balanced and complex. Riesling matches very well with a host of today’s most popular cuisine, especially Asian food, rich foods, seafood, and game.“

But what about that sweetness factor?

“Rieslings can range from bone-dry to tooth-achingly sweet,“ Hemp said. “An easy way to know how sweet a wine is without tasting it is to check the alcohol level of the wine: if it is above 12 percent, it will usually be a dry wine. At lower than 12 percent, it will likely have some sweetness, the more so as the alcohol level gets lower.

“As a rule of thumb most Riesling produced today is of a dry style, and you’ll most often encounter sweetness in German Rieslings.“

So, pick your style and go for it.

“Vines & Wines” appears alternate weeks in the Food section. Contact Jack Berninger at .