RIESLING MAY SURPRISE
Varietal ranges from dry to sweet; a recent initiative details sugar levels
I’ve been tasting British Columbia Riesling of late, a joyous task at the worst of times, but then that is old news to you.
It’s also old news that no matter what the experts think, consumers are just not that interested in Riesling. Any renaissance — now long overdue by decades — isn’t likely to appear anytime soon, if at all. Add in the very real struggles of restaurants and the sommelier crowd, Riesling’s front-line workers, and it’s hard to see any favourable outcome.
There is no need to panic. It is not the end of the world for Riesling producers. Riesling’s cult factor (in the very finest use of that word) remains powerful, and those who drink it are not going anywhere.
It is why the noble grape was the king of white wines at the turn of the 20th century, and only adds to its history of persistence in the world of wine.
At this point, we wonder what, if anything, can be said about Riesling that could entice you to at least give some of the New World’s best expressions a chance to captivate you.
If I was to say that Riesling wines represent crazy value, or the flavour profile is among the purest of any grapes grown in the province, or that they come in just about any style you could want from bone dry to ultrasweet, would that help?
The vast majority are sold under screw cap, ensuring their delicate aromas and flavours will age forever untainted by a cork, but that hasn’t worked either. How about that there are few, if any, foods they don’t make taste better?
You could argue consumer indifference is perfect for inventory control, preventing overproduction and all the nasty things that can befall a darling grape when everybody and their dog want to make one and market it worldwide. Think Malbec or rosé.
But that doesn’t encourage more folks to plant Riesling and sell it. What I like to do is serve Riesling blind, tell people it’s Chardonnay, and wait for them to say things like “that is the best Chardonnay I have ever tasted, where can I buy it?”
There is one important development that is helping to improve what many think is both the weakness and the strength of Riesling: just how sweet or dry it is. It’s an easy-to-comprehend graphic scale designed by the International Riesling Foundation that truly describes the style of wine, be it dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet or sweet, rather than how much sugar it contains.
It’s neatly done with a pictorial scale that measures the relationship between the wine’s sugar and acid content, and displayed on the back label of participating producers, including a small number of B.C. wineries. I can’t say enough about how useful and consumer-friendly it is. This week we feature a range of local favourites, but there are many more than just five to check out.
Here is a short list of excellent value Riesling I have thoroughly enjoyed already this year that will brighten any summer gathering available at grocery, private retailers and B.C. Liquor Stores. Full reviews are available at gismondionwine.com.
Culmina Family Estate R&D Dryish Riesling ($19) and the Decora Riesling ($21); Four Shadows 2019 Riesling ($23); Quails’ Gate 2019 Dry Riesling ($16.49); Spearhead 2019 Riesling ($21); Tantalus 2019 Riesling Hard Pressings No. 9 ($18); Tightrope 2018 Riesling ($22) and the Wild Goose Riesling 2017 ($17.99).
At the top end there is Cedarcreek 2018 Platinum Riesling Block 3 ($29.99); Harper’s Trail Riesling Thadd Springs Vineyard Silver Mane Block 2018 Riesling ($20); Martin’s Lane Naramata Ranch Riesling ($55); Moraine 2019 Riesling ($22); Orofino Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling Clone 21B ($19); Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling Clone 239 ($19); Home Vineyard Wild Ferment
Old Vines Riesling ($25); Phantom Creek Estates 2017 Riesling ($30); Sperling Vineyards 2016 Old Vines Riesling ($35); Tantalus Vineyards 2019 Riesling ($22), and 2017 Old Vines Riesling ($31).
If you are a Riesling lover, stay tuned; we will have more releases to look at in the coming weeks on the tasting bench.
And the good thing is, unlike other high-quality top value wines, you shouldn’t have a lot of trouble finding them on retail shelves.