XAVIER AYALA
@DiariSommelier
@diarisommelier.cat
Riesling, sometimes referred to as the White Lady, is one of the world's most prized white grape varieties. It is found all over the planet and in all types of wine: dry and sparkling as well as wines of varying degrees of sweetness. In fact, the wine's sugar content is the basis of the classification system in this varietal's land of origin on the slopes of the Rhine River. Here the wines are classified into categories that range from the driest to the sweetest. In order these categories are Trocken, Halbtrocken, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
Thousands of accounts have been written about its origins. Perhaps the most audacious and popular in our part of the world is that it is a first cousin of the Albariño, but this relationship has never been proven. What we can say with certainty is that Riesling is also found in France due to the fact that the regions where it is grown in these two countries are only separated by the Black Forest. In France, it is one of the flagship varietals of the Alsace region although there are certain differences in terms of its taste profile. As much as it pains me to say it, and this is just my personal opinion, the wines made in Germany can be a tad more (too?) acidic and this, as well as some citrus notes, differentiates the German from the French Rieslings.
In terms of winemaking, Riesling is very suited to wood, although in many places it is fermented in stainless steel. The most common method in northern Europe, i.e. in countries where the grape is not only native but also commonplace, is fermentation in wooden vats or barrels.
What follows is our round-up of Rieslings made in different parts of the world, with varying sweetness levels but with the common denominator of the aromatic and taste characteristics unique to this varietal, as our selection has been focused on this grape in its purest state.
La variedad de uva blanca Riesling, también conocida como la Dama Blanca, es una de las variedades blancas
