When it comes to the average consumer, Riesling gets little or no respect, and I could never understand why.

            At one end of the spectrum, you’d think that beginning wine drinkers who usually veer toward sweeter wines would flock toward Riesling. Yet they don’t.

            At the other end, with many top winemakers around the world declaring Riesling to be their favorite white grape variety, you would think that wine-savvy shoppers would take this to heart and make Riesling a huge seller but, by and large, they don’t.

            The problem, it seems, is twofold. First, unfortunately, Riesling is often thought to be inexpensive plonk, which occasionally it can be – so can any other varietal you care to name. Secondly, as the biggest producing country of Riesling, German wine labels can be very daunting to the uninitiated – often written in a forbidding Germanic font, in which one single word can sometimes make the difference between drier and sweeter and with long, difficult to pronounce vineyard names. It’s enough to drive most people to Moscato or Pinot Grigio.

            What many people should understand is that Riesling can also be one of the classic wines of the world with a beautifully forged balance between fruit and acidity. It is a wine of great diversity running the gamut from bone dry to super sweet and everything in between. Because it can be made in so many styles it stands to reason that it can pair beautifully with so many different foods. If you don’t believe me try an off-dry Riesling the next time you have lobster tail.

            A good Riesling can age much longer than many other white wines, too; sometimes for several decades.  When you compare it in price with the wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy or many other premium wine areas a quality Riesling can come fairly inexpensive.

            Although Germany is the heart and home of Riesling wines there are also world class Rieslings coming from Alsace, Washington State and many other wine regions. A case in point is New Zealand.

            Recently I held a class on the wines of New Zealand and one of the wines we tasted was Skyleaf Riesling 2009 from Waipara Valley, which is located somewhat south of Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island. Now, usually when I hold wine classes I know the wines I’m pouring and have tasted them beforehand but for whatever reason this time I hadn’t. I poured it for the class, picked up my glass, stuck my nose into it and did an oenological double-take. This smelled like a delicious fairly-well-aged somewhat dry Riesling of quality. I double-checked the vintage – 2009, pretty young. I tasted the wine. It was great; certainly not your grandmother’s cheap and cheerful Liebfraumilch. No, there were a lot of interesting things going on in my glass. I couldn’t believe this wine was only $9.99 on sale!

            If you doubt the veracity of my statement try a bottle or pick up any bottle of decent Riesling, pour a glass for yourself and your friends and make a toast to Riesling with respect. I can guarantee that if you’re like me that respect will soon turn into love.

Bill Stobbs, ABC Wine Supervisor