RIESLING UP
MARY-THERESE BLAIR says New Zealand rieslings know their place.
IT’S TRUE TO SAY that winemakers, for the most part, love riesling. The belief seems to be that, apart from having so many different options as to how you can make riesling, it beautifully reflects the terroir in which it was grown. Here in New Zealand we refer to terroir as tūrangawaewae. Literally translated as ‘a place to stand’, tūrangawaewae is the Māori word for our place in the world, our land. Our place is New Zealand and we see it as beautiful, diverse, clean and pure. Which, coincidentally, is how a lot of winemakers view riesling. Combine that with it being considered the perfect summer wine and you can see why it’s as popular among wine folk as it is.
The rieslings shown were described by panel lead Ben Glover as “a glorious variety to enjoy over summer with all in the range from soprano to bass and always exquisitely presented and articulated”. High praise indeed.