The Ultimate Guide to Riesling Wine – How does Riesling taste like?

Fancy a drink? Not sure what to sip on? How about a glass of Riesling?

Riesling is an aromatic and highly refreshing white wine. It has notes of floral fruitiness and is deliciously crisp and invigorating. This lively wine originates from beautiful growing areas along the Rhine River which runs through Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.

Riesling wine is famous for its acidic, fresh and bracing flavours. Some of the fruit notes you can find in this white wine are apple, peach, pear and apricots. Riesling sometimes has been known to smell like flowery petrol, but the taste is fruity and light.

What Is Riesling Wine?

Riesling wine is a refreshing beverage made from Riesling white grapes that has a deep history. This delicious wine comes in a variety of tastes, from as dry as desert sand to the sweetest dessert wine you could imagine.

Riesling is also known to last for decades, getting stronger and more potent with each year. It pairs well with most foods but specifically with spicy foods, light fish and sweet desserts. It has often received a bad rap due to its tendency to smell like petrol when opening the bottle, but there are specific chemicals in the grapes used in making sweet Riesling wine that are responsible for that.

Riesling is a versatile light-bodied wine that can be moulded to suit any occasion.

Where Is Riesling Wine From?

Riesling wine has a history that dates all the way back to 1435.

It was first made and drunk in the Rhine region of Germany. News of this delicious wine travelled along the river and this is how Riesling became popular in other areas, countries and places along the Rhine, such as France and Switzerland.

From its beginning, Riesling has been noted as being the chosen alcoholic beverage of the German elite. It was recorded in historical writings that Riesling was bottled and cased and taken on journeys by the Germans whenever they left home for long periods of time.

How Is Riesling Wine Made?

The Riesling grape is known to be delicate in nature and texture. During the harvesting and winemaking process, the grape needs to be handled with the utmost care and delicate touch to avoid any crushing or bruising of the skin. If this happens it can drastically change the taste and outcome of the wine.

During fermentation, the grapes and the grape juice are chilled twice throughout the process. The wine is kept in a stainless steel fermentation tank and the temperature is kept at a cool 10 to 18 degrees Celsius.

Most white wines undergo a process called malolactic fermentation, Riesling does not. Omitting this process is what lends sweet Riesling wine its tart and acidic flavour. Riesling is then stored just above freezing point for a while which helps prevent the acidic particles in the wine from crystallising. The wine is then filtered to remove whatever yeast or impurities remain, and it is then ready for bottling.

What Does Riesling Wine Taste Like?

The answer to this question all depends on how old the bottle of Riesling is.

Other things that influence the taste of a bottle of Riesling are where the grapes were grown, the kind of fruit used, and what has influenced the flowers used in the fermentation process. The younger the bottle of Riesling, the tarter and more acidic the taste. You will usually also pick up more of the fruit in a younger Riesling. The older the bottle of Riesling, the sweeter, more intense and more aromatic it becomes.

Is Riesling Considered A Sweet Wine?

Riesling has a reputation for being considered a sweet wine. The reason for this is that the place in which Riesling originates from, Rhine Germany, makes Riesling on the sweeter side. As we have just seen above, the sweetness of a bottle is also directly influenced by its age.

Most modern-day Rieslings produced all over the world are more often than not classed as an off-dry or dry white wine.

Is Riesling Light Bodied?

Riesling is definitely considered to be a light-bodied wine. A light-bodied wine means that it has a low alcohol content, the wine is leaner and more delicate and generally pairs well with lighter foods.

What Is A Good Riesling Wine?

One of the best white wine brands to consider when buying a bottle of Riesling is The Ransom Sunnyside Vineyard Riesling. The vines were planted in 1970 in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. There were only 117 cases produced and a bottle costs around £15.

How Do You Drink Riesling Wine?

Traditionally, sweet Riesling is drunk on its own, paired with a light meal such as salad or fish. But in today’s modern world of cocktails and artisan drinks, Riesling is now often mixed with other things to create a delicious beverage. In cocktails, Riesling goes nicely with vodka or tequila mixed with fruit juice and fresh fruit.

Should Riesling Wine Be Served Chilled Or Room Temperature?

Overall, white wines taste better when served chilled, this is the same for Riesling wines too. It is easy to over or under chill it, so finding the right temperature is important.

The best temperature to serve Riesling at is between 7 and 9 degrees Celsius. To attain this temperature, it is best to leave it in the refrigerator overnight where it will reach around 3 degrees, then remove it from the fridge and allow it to warm for 5 minutes before serving.

What Food Does Riesling Wine Pair Well With?

Riesling wine is known to pair really well with almost any food. It is a versatile wine. The foods it pairs best with are the lighter foods such as raw fish, fish in general, Asian food, spicy foods, and any white meats.

What Is Better: Riesling Or Moscato?

Riesling and Moscato have similar fruit ingredients and very similar aromatic profiles. In general,

Moscato is known to be the sweeter of the two. They are both very floral and often very citrusy. They are very similar but have a slight taste and smell difference.

What Is The Difference Between Chardonnay And Riesling?

Riesling wines are generally light-bodied, mildly sweet, or dry. They all tend to have some type of fruity flavour. Chardonnay is a medium-bodied wine with mild acidity and is quite dry and not very sweet at all. They both have a fruity undertone and share similar flavours such as citrus and pitted fruits such as peaches.