Let’s face it: Riesling gets a bad rap. Conventional wisdom dictates that wine has to be dry to be good, so it’s easy for the uninitiated to dismiss this one as a cloyingly sweet dessert wine. Occasionally, when writing for this page, I’m able to dispel some myth or misconception surrounding the distilled or fermented beverage I’m describing. Riesling provides me another opportunity.  

For one thing, there is no such thing as a typical Riesling. Depending on the winemaker’s approach and technique – or the climate and geographical characteristics of the area where it’s produced – the stylistic range can be remarkably broad. Rieslings can actually be dry, “half-dry” or, yes, very sweet, with flavor notes ranging from melon, peach or green apple, to grapefruit, mineral, petrol or pine needle.  

Although Riesling was at one time quite popular in the United States, the introduction of the lowly white zinfandel in the 1970s, followed by the chardonnay explosion of the 1980s and ’90s, all but wiped out consumer demand. Although a recent tasting I held for friends with a range of German offerings indicates that Riesling may still have a way to go to achieve widespread acceptance here (“You haven’t changed my mind, I’m afraid,” was one comment), there have been signs of a resurgence.  

According to Patrick and John Gray, proprietors of Super Cellars in Ridgewood, there is definitely a renewed interest in the wine. Although John says that Riesling still accounts for less than 5 percent of the father-son duo’s wine-shelf space, sales have increased significantly, and continue to rise. This may be due in part, he adds, to Riesling’s generally lower alcohol content –perhaps a better fit to today’s lifestyle, or maybe because the wine pairs so well with certain foods. The Grays point out that it is usually sold as Johannesburg, Rhine or white Riesling – at least in North America – but these designations are more for marketing purposes than to indicate any differences in style or quality.

Riesling is believed to have been first grown in the early 1400s, in the Rhine Valley of Germany; it was German botanist Hieronymus Bock who is credited with first using the term “Riesling” in his 1522 Latin Herbal treatise. It’s a hardy grape, from hard-wooded vines, and does well in colder, less-than-ideal climates where other varieties might struggle. This resilience allows the fruit to remain on the vine longer, attaining sweeter, “late harvest” characteristics when those are desired.

Paul Kreusch, vice president of Leonard Kreusch Inc. of Northvale, the producer, importer and distributor of German wines, declares, “Balance is the key – the right balance between acid and sugar.” The exact balance, Kreusch explains, determines how German Rieslings are classified. Each category signifies a specific duration the grape is permitted for ripening; the longer on the vine, the higher the percentage of residual sugar.

Kabinett, allowed the shortest ripening time, generally has a lower sugar percentage, resulting in lighter-bodied, “off-dry” wines. Spätlese (“late-harvested”), spends more time on the vine, and while still off-dry, can be richer and more full-bodied. Still longer ripening yields Auslese, a medium-sweet wine. Beerenauslese, made from late-harvested, individually picked grapes infected with a desirable fungus called Botrytis noble rot, is classified as “sweet.” Finally, Trockenbeerenauslese (say that three times fast!) is a true dessert wine, made from shriveled grapes with the highest sugar concentration.  

Although we most closely associate Riesling with its country of origin – and most experts feel that Germany still produces the best, with the Alsace region of France a close second – the hardiness of the grape allows it to be grown all over the world. It is now cultivated in such diverse locations as Australia, Canada, Austria and Italy, and in many U.S. states, including Texas.

The Finger Lakes region of New York State, which has a climate and topography similar to the Rhine Valley’s, was one of the first regions in the U.S. to produce Rieslings wines; wineries such as Herman J. Weimer, on the western shore of Seneca Lake, make some good ones. Respected Rieslings are also produced in the Pacific Northwest. While the grape is not planted to a great extent in California – where its cousin, the chardonnay, remains king – there is, nonetheless, some California Riesling being produced that is quite full-bodied and complex.

Although the urge to simply sit and sip a good Riesling is understandable, I have found that it’s as an accompaniment to food that the varietal really shines. An October 2003 article in Food and Wine magazine was headlined “Riesling Loves Asian Food”; I agree wholeheartedly that the wine pairs nicely with Chinese, Thai or Indian cuisine – but equally well with any spicy, smoked or salty foods. It even makes a great partner for lobster or shrimp with melted butter. A Riesling’s fruit and flinty sweetness will both complement and stand up to the bold, the spicy or the buttery, where, as Paul Kreusch points out, “A bone-dry wine might get lost.”

So, ignore the bad rap. The next time you’re headed to your favorite Asian, Mexican or barbecue restaurant, grab a bottle of Spätlese or Finger Lakes Riesling, put your preconceptions aside and give this varietal a try.