Ah Germany... a country known for producing some of the most incredible Rieslings in the world.
Take a look at the four most significant regions:
...and a little bit about the wine from each:
- where many of the FINEST Rieslings in the world are produced
- more mineral (wet stone) flavors with lemon, lime, citrus, apple, and apricot
- crisp wines with great acidity
- steepest vineyards in Germany with vines facing the south
- along the Mosel river (where Rieslings were said to have originated)
- less sunlight than other regions
- slate in the soil (creates the mineral flavor in the wine)
- traditionally green bottles
- more exotic fruit flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, honey, and ginger
- lush and tangy flavors with less acidity
- flatter land surrounded by mountains
- limestone and sand in the soil
- the most inventive and creative region
- riper rounder fruit flavors of peach, pear, citrus, honey, and some earth
- extremely rich and elegant
- serene region on a continuous slope
- known for their famous village Johannisberg
- earthier flavors and juicy fruit flavors of peach, apple, and melon
- smallest production of riesling
- flat fertile farmland
- red sandstone and slate in soil
- very plain compared to other German regions
In Germany the quality of the wine relates to the ripeness of the grape. Here is how they classify their Rieslings in order of less ripe (dryer) to most ripe (sweeter) wines. These are usually printed on a German bottle of Riesling.
KABINETT * picked at normal harvest and usually dryer
SPATLESE * picked later, riper, and a bit sweeter (off-dry)
AUSLESE * very ripe, much sweeter, and a touch of noble rot
BEERENAUSLESE * extremely ripe, selected and hand picked grapes with noble rot
TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE * extremely ripe, smaller quantities that are individually picked with noble rot, some of sweetest wine in world
EISWEIN * grapes are picked when frozen, the sweetest of all
