Riesling Report

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Riesling really is coming back. It's happening slowly and even the most optimistic Riesling promoters acknowledge that the variety will always be a niche player, but there is definitely something afoot. All around the globe, wine lovers and professionals are gathering together for a host of tastings, seminars, workshops and festivals, with ever-increasing emphasis on the versatility, complexity and pure pleasure of drinking Riesling.

In February, four leading importers of Riesling in Great Britain got together and staged a day of Riesling tastings and seminars for the wine trade. Once a booming market for cheap German wines, the United Kingdom's thirst for Riesling has waned in the past few years. These importers were determined to show London's wine professionals what real Riesling is all about. Apparently the London wine trade already has some idea. Organizers of the event had hoped for 180 attendees and ended up with nearly 500.

The tide seems to be turning back toward German wines, with a greater emphasis on top-quality Riesling rather than the cheap stuff. "A lot of younger decision-makers were there, so we hope that is a sign that the old school, anti-German type is a dying breed and younger, more open-minded people are on the case," said David Wright of London's Walter Siegel Wines. As we see elsewhere, the charge is being led by the new generation of chefs and sommeliers who find the purity of Riesling to be a much better match for their fresh and inventive new styles of cooking than heavy, oaky wines.

Long-time Riesling supporter Jancis Robinson MW leads a seminar for the wine trade at London's "Great Riesling Tasting" in February.

Jancis Robinson, Britain's celebrated wine writer and educator, had agreed to conduct a Riesling seminar for the trade and ended up doing two because of the extraordinary response. Robinson is a steadfast Riesling supporter and has been preaching its virtues for decades. But she's a realist and offers this explanation as to why Riesling probably will never become a mass market favorite: "Riesling has a strong flavor," she said, "a certain percentage of wine drinkers will not like it. Unlike Chardonnay, it almost has too much personality."

The second edition of Frankland Estate's biannual Riesling event was another resounding success. (Please see our complete report, from Australian wine journalist Peter Bourne, in the print edition.) In addition to a healthy and enthusiastic turnout for the tastings, workshops and Riesling dinner, the event is helping to build a global exchange of ideas, winemaking techniques and marketing opportunities.

What was most interesting to hear was just how seriously the Australians take their Riesling. For winemakers there, producing a great Riesling has become something of a rite of passage. It's the way to prove yourself as a vintner and the tacit competition to produce the very best is vigorous. More and more we're hearing that Australian wine estates are moving back to Riesling. The wave of ripping out Riesling vineyards has subsided and now a producer is more likely to plant new Riesling vines than Chardonnay.

In April, Cornell University's Enology Program and the New York Wine and Grape Foundation held the 31st New York Wine Industry Workshop in the Finger Lakes town of Geneva. Riesling is becoming more and more important to the New York wine industry, primarily in the Finger Lakes, and it was the focus of this year's workshop. Over three days, winemakers had the chance to attend seminars, panel discussions and presentations on every aspect of growing, making and marketing Riesling.

Guest presenters from around the world came to share their experience and expertise in all things Riesling. Among them were Hans Schultz from Germany's viticulture school in Geisenheim, Isabelle Sipp-Mack from Alsace, big-time wine marketer Peter Sichel from Germany, Dennis Martin of Fetzer Vineyards in California, Erik Olsen from Chateau Ste Michelle, as well as several Riesling experts from the Finger Lakes area.

The 24th annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival took place the week of April 22, 2002, with a special focus on the wines of Germany, Riesling in particular. Among the many tastings, dinners and special events were two seminars presented by British wine journalist Robert Joseph, founder of WINE Magazine. In the first, called "News from the Continent: German and Portuguese Revelations," Joseph turned his dry English wit to similarities that the wines of these two countries share in the perception of the public.

The challenge he laid before the winemakers and trade professionals in attendance, was to turn their perceived weaknesses – difficult names, little known varieties, unfamiliar wine styles – into marketing opportunities. The New World, in particular, he pointed out, is always clamoring for something new. The interesting paradox is that Germany and Portugal – both countries with centuries-long winemaking traditions – now have the chance to present their forgotten wines as something totally new to the general wine market.

Joseph's second seminar, with the familiar title "Riesling Renaissance," laid out the stylistic differences among German Rieslings from different regions and gave those in attendance the complete rundown on nomenclature. He then proselytized about the inherent quality of the grape that true Riesling lovers have long understood: purity of flavor, transmission of vineyard character, ability to pair with food and aging potential.

A third seminar highlighted German Eiswein, from different regions, various varieties and several vintages. Ice wine has become quite an industry in Canada, but even here most agreed that true German Eiswein still holds the edge in terms of elegance, varietal purity and structural balance. All in all, Riesling had quite a good showing here and the young, eager-to-learn Vancouver crowd drank it up with gusto.

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