Riesling Seminar

Riesling Seminar

In support of the Summer of Riesling 2013 I created a Riesling seminar that discusses Riesling throughout the world.  We offered this seminar for our Prime Cru members and our staff.  The turn out was not the greatest, for some reason people still do not understand Riesling.  However, those that were in attendance have a better appreciation for the under rated grape.  One at a time we will change people’s perception of Riesling as being a sweet wine.

Although I did not go into detail about Riesling from Canada, Washington State, Oregon, New Zealand or Chile; these regions should also be on your radar for Riesling.  Master sommeliers all vow their love for Riesling because it makes them look good when they pair wine and food.  It is one of the few grapes that expresses razor edge acidity along with a  pleasant electrifying fruitiness.  It brings two of the most desired characteristics of wine into one glass.  For this reason you see Riesling all over Michelin star restaurants’ tasting menus.

Riesling is the most understood grape.  Even in its homeland of Germany, the grape has been deemed as merely a sweet wine.  It might be a result of marketing the Blue Nun label all over the world, however; that is a wine of the past.  Today more and more people are becoming familiar with the different levels of sweetness.  For those wine drinkers who enjoy drinking Burgundy and all its primer crus, you need to try Chartas from the Rheingau, Grosses Gewachs from the Mosel and Erest Lages from Rheinhessen.  Riesling is diverse and complex.  It is not your grandmas wine any more.

I hope you enjoy the Riesling seminar and drink more Riesling!