Riesling: Washington’s Great White Wine

I’ve always loved Riesling in its myriad forms. Ranging from dry to very sweet, this most versatile grape is a classic. Usually low in alcohol, with moderate to high acid, and tones of green apple, citrus, apricot, white flowers and minerals, this wine goes with just about anything but red meat.

My introduction to Riesling came at a B&B in the south of England. After dinner one night, my group came back to the Inn and our hosts offered us glasses of a delicious, sweet wine. It was unctuous, honeyed and floral with a bracing green apple overtone. I tried to read the label, but didn’t actually understand most of it. The few words I could pick out – Riesling and Beerenauslese stuck in my head. I was determined to learn more.

My studies at the CIA introduced me to the varying forms of the classic German Riesling. Ranging from dry to sweet, they are:

Kabinett
Spätlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Trokenbeerenauslese
Eiswein

Kabinett is the driest, with grapes picked at normal harvest. Spatlese is wine made from late harvest grapes. Auslese is made from hand- picked riper grapes, sometimes with Noble Rot. Beerenaulese uses grapes affected by Noble Rot. Trokenbeerenaulese means “dry”, but refers to the grapes that are dried on the vine, concentrating the sugar content. Eiswein is very ripe grapes that have frozen on the vine, producing the sweetest style of Riesling. As they go from dry to sweet, the fruit and floral tones increase along with the sugar.