2017 Riesling Summer Wine Picks
Jessica Altieri | CEO | Wine Channel TV Media
You’ll love the fragrant fresh sips I suggest, not that I don’t have a few reds to spring on you too! Wine Channel TV Editor Jessica Altieri shares some of her favorite Summer Wines for you to enjoy! Watch the video for a “Cheeky Riesling from New Zealand.
Riesling
Germany, Austria, New Zealand, the U.S.—it seems vintners everywhere are getting into the Riesling rage these days, and for good reason. This funky varietal boasts a stunning range, from rich and sweet to ultra crisp, zippy and dry. Yes, I said dry. Wine lovers around the globe have expanded their taste buds to embrace this chic native of Germany’s Rhine Valley.
Snapshot
Rot is rot, you say? Noble Rot begs to differ. Take the Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling for starters. Those crafty Germans let the grapes age and rot and wrinkle like raisins, intensifying the sugars and the caramel and honey bouquet. At the other extreme, Kabinett Rieslings are like late spring in Death Valley—nearly bone dry.
Millennials—the biggest, boldest wine consumers today—seek out the new and aren’t afraid of change, but they also demand to be informed. Which is why the Riesling Taste Profile scales (on the sides of many wine bottles now) are, in a word, genius! 26,000,000 bottles in the U.S. market now help you predict the taste in a particular bottle of Riesling.
This is sweet Riesling music to my ears!
Fave Sips
- Mud House Riesling Waipara Valley New Zealand 2014
- Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling Semi Dry Riesling 2011
- Dr. Frank Dry Riesling 2012
- Jim Barry ‘The Lodge Hill’ Dry Riesling 2013
- Spy Valley Envoy Riesling 2009
- Tierce Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2009
- J.J. Prum 2010 Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese
Great Eats
If you go the sweet route, Asian fare, Indian food, spicy sausage and charcuterie perfectly contrast that Riesling sugar kick that cools down spicy grub. If you grabbed a dry Riesling, choose crisp seafood, shellfish or grilled chicken to complement the crisp mineral, zesty lemon/lime and tropical stylings of this favorite spring varietal.
The Unforgettable Kiss
Tierce Dry Riesling from Finger Lakes, New York, gained rock star status in 2013 when President Obama served it at his second inaugural luncheon. When I judged the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition—created by winemakers Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Winery, and David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars—my taste buds were ravished by this amazing white. Wine genius Dan Berger recently dubbed a 2008 Tierce “the best dry Riesling ever made in the United States.” Enough said!
Happy Summer Sips and stay tuned to Wine Channel TV for more summer sips coming next month!