Riesling: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
Wachau Austria has a small stream and a small vineyard both called Ritzling, and these are claimed locally to have given Riesling its name. There is however no documentary basis for the claim. Riesling is one of the most ancient German white wine grape varieties, originally from the Rhine region. It is still the most-grown variety in Germany. The earliest reference is 1435, when Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen refers to a purchase of Riesling cuttings for his vineyard. In 1477. Riesling was originally documented in Alsace France under the spelling Rissling.  Image source: emeraldcruises.com It has been suggested that the red-skinned version of Riesling is the forerunner of the common, white Riesling. The genetic differences between white and red Riesling are minor, DNA fingerprinting indicates that one parent of Riesling is Gouais blanc (Weißer Heunisch to Germans), a variety that, while rare today, was widely grown by French and German peasantry of the Middle Ages. The other parent is a cross between a wild vine and Traminer. Rhein Riesling: This alternative name is believed to be over 500 years old, originating in the Rhine Valley, first mentioned in 1435 CE in the Rheingau region. It is a cross between the Heunisch grape and a Traminer variety. This further suggests that the wine was born somewhere in the Rhine valley, since both Heunisch and Traminer have a long-documented history in Germany, but with parents from either side of the Adriatic the cross could have happened anywhere along the way. |
 Image: halleckvineyard.com Taste/smell: Often described as apple-like, or having apricot, citrus and peach tones. Others suggest it has beeswax, blossom, lime and mineral tones. Ageing Reisling has a tendency to develop a smell of petrol, sounds awful but is often present on opening a quality Riesling. Varieties/Mutations: A large number of commercial clones of Riesling exist, with slightly different properties – Germany, formally permits approximately 60 clones. Riesling Rot (red Riesling) has dark pink berries, it is a colour mutation of white Riesling. Late-19th century, German horticulturalists devoted efforts to develop new Riesling hybrids to create a more flexible, less temperamental grape that could retain the elegant characteristics of Riesling. The most notable is the Müller-Thurgau developed in the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in 1882, a cross of Riesling and Madeleine Royale. Kerner, Scheurebe and Rieslaner are high-quality crosses between Riesling and the red wine grape Trollinger. A number of grapes incorporate the term Riesling but in fact are not true Rieslings – Cape Riesling (Crouchen), Gray Riesling (Trousseau gris) , Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) and Welschriesling. | Description: Image source: www.plantgrape.fr The grape is highly influenced by its terroir, its white berries are slightly obolid. Riesling grape requires special handling during harvesting to avoid crushing or bruising the skin.  Image source: www.plantgrape.fr Riesling has circular adult leaves, with five or seven lobes, blade-shaped, on the lower side there is a medium density of erect hairs and a low density of prostrate hairs Its young shoots have a high density of prostrate hairs and red or red-striped internodes. It has yellow young leaves with slightly bronze spots. Rhein Riesling:  Image source: winesofhungary.hu |
Riesling producing countries: Big Five Producers: (overall 42% of vineyards, 64% of wine production and 41% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Spain: Aragon and Navarre. France: Alsace. Italy: Friuli Venezia-Giulia and Trentino, USA: California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. Chile: Curicó, Maule, Rapel and Santiago, Next Ten Largest Producers: (with big five, responsible overall for 75% of vineyards, 88% of wine production, 64% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Argentina: Patagonia. Australia: New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, China: Ningxia. Germany: Ahr, Baden, Hessische, Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe, Palatinate, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen and Württemberg. India none detected. New Zealand: Central Otago, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury and Waipara. Portugal: Açores.. Romania: Teremia-Mare. South Africa: Cape South Coast and Coastal Region. Turkey: Aegean and Marmara. Others countries growing Riesling: Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Uruguay Brazil terms some of its wines as Riesling but they are, in fact, Welschriesling. | Grape is also known as: Beregi Riesling, Beyaz Riesling, Biela Grasevina, Dinca Grasiva Biela, Edelriesling, Edle Gewurztraube, Fefferl, Feher Rajnai, Gentil Aromatique, Gentile Aromatique, Gewuerzriesling, Gewuerztrabe, Graefenberger, Graschevina, Grasevina Rajnska, Grauer Riesling, Hochheimer, Johannesburg Riesling, Johannisberg Riesling, Johannisberger, Johannisberger Riesling, Karbacher, Karbacher Riesling, Kastellberger, Kis Rizling, Kleigelberger, Kleinriesler, Kleinriesling, Klingelberger, Krauses, Lipka, Moselriesling, Niederlaender, Niederlander, Oberkircher, Oberlaender, Petit Rhin, Petit Riesling, Petracine, Pfaelzer, Piros Rajnai Rizling, Raisin du Rhin, Rajinski Rizling, Rajnai Rizling, Rajnski Ruzling, Rano, Reichsriesling, Reissler, Remo, Rendu, Reno, Rezlin, Rezlink, Rheingauer, Rheinriesling, Rhiesling, Rhine, Rhine Riesling, Riesler, Riesling Bianco, Riesling blanc, Riesling de Rhin, Riesling Echter Weisser, Riesling Edler, Rieslinger, Riesling Gelb Mosel E 43, Riesling Giallo, Riesling Grosso, Riesling Gruener Mosel, Riesling Mosel, Riesling Reinskii, Riesling Renano, Riesling Renano Bianco, Riesling Rhenan, Riesling Weiss, Rislinenok, Risling Reinskii, Rislinok, Rizling Linner, Rizling Rajnai, Rizling Rajinski, Rizling Rajnski, Rizling Rynsky, Roessling, Rohac, Rossling, Rosslinger, Ruessel, Russling, Ryzlink Rynsky, Starosvetske, Starovetski, Szuerke Rizling, Uva Pussila, Weisser Riesling, White Riesling… |
Image source: wsetglobal.com
Riesling: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
