Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest
February 18th, 2009
Delight in The Flowery Taste And Aromas Of Riesling Wine
Riesling is a white wine made from the scented grape, which is the 20th most well loved grape developed in vineyards all over the world. The wines made from this grape can be dry, sweet, semi-sweet or sparkling. They are one of the top three white wines, but the taste and aroma is highly dependent on the region in which the grapes are developed.
| It is thought that the Riesling grapes originated in the Rhine region, where they are very abundant. But, research has shown that the cuttings were really brought to France from Croatia by the Romans, giving this wine a very long history. It is a cross between the German grape Gouais Blanc and Traminer grapes from Italy. There are both red and white grapes, so you can have both red and white wines by this name.
Riesling wines do age well, but are often consumed when they are young. At this age, the wines are very fruity with aromas of green apples, grapefruit, peaches, honey, rose blossom and fresh mown grass. They have a crisp and acidic taste. The high acidic quality permits extended aging of the wine. There are barrels of this wine that are well-aged such as those in the German town of Bremen, which date back to 1653. The aging period of the wine depends on the type of wine winemakers want to have as the final result. Dry wines are allowable to age for 5 to 15 years, whereas 10 to 20 years is the norm for semi-sweet and 30 or more years for sweet wine. |
Some Riesling wines are very expensive, especially those made from grapes that are allowable to hang on the vine for a period long after they are ripe enough to harvest. The grapes do become infected with noble rot, a type of gray fungus, but this helps the excess water to evaporate from the fruit.
In Germany freezing helps to remove the excess water which results in ice wine. The wine that results is very rich because of the high concentration of sugar in the grapes and is very pleasing to the palette. This combination of harvesting techniques and fermentation methods produces a white wine that is the longest lived of all wines with Gewurztraminer coming in at a close second.
The terrain of the region affects that taste and aroma of Riesling wine. In Germany, this is the leading grape developed in vineyards. It ripens between late September and November, but is often not harvested until January. The wine is rarely aged in oak barrels and is known for its transparent quality with a excellent balance of sandstone and fruity flavors.
The wines made from these grapes in Alsace have higher alcohol content because sugar is added during the production process. They are mostly dry, thick bodied wines that coat the palette. The tastes and aromas of Alsace Riesling wines tend to start to come out after aging for at least three years.
Riesling wine from Australia, not to be confused with Shiraz, is a lean wine with the aromas and flavors of toast, honeycomb and lime. In the wineries of this country it is very common for the wine to uproar in stainless steel casks that do not allow any oxidation to occur. When the wines are young they tend to have an oily texture and citrus flavors, but this balances out as they age.
Although Riesling is not planted in large quantities in California, it is produced as a late dessert wine. This wine tends to be softer and fuller than the German variety and have more diverse flavors. Wines from this grape produced in the Pacific Northwest in the states of Oregon and Washington range from dry to sweet with a crisp lightness that makes them simple drinking wines.
By: Sarah Martin –Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com –Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer is from San Diego, CA. She specializes in international travel, cuisine, and fine wine varietals, such as Riesling and Shiraz. For a wide selection of fantastic wine varietals, please visit www.wineaccess.com/.
Essex Wine Review » Colio Riesling 2006
Colio Riesling 2006 Review. Tue 20, Jan. 09. 0 Reviews. 0 Reviews. 0overall score. Winemaker’s Notes: This Riesling shows our winemaking team’s ability to stay right to varietals.
Kartauserhof Smargd Riesling Achleiten 2007 / Austrian Riesling
Kartauserhof Smargd Riesling Achleiten 2007 / Austrian Riesling / 91 Points – Wine Spectator Ripe, with baked peach and apricot flavors, along with notes of mango, golden raisin.
Donnhoff Kabinett Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling 2007
Donnhoff Kabinett Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling 2007 / Nahe Riesling / 90 Points – Wine Spectator Terrific cut sets the grapefruit, orange and sandstone flavors in relief.
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Tags: dry red wine types, red wine in france, tiz red wine, welch's white grape juice wine recipes
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