The Unbearable Lightness of Riesling
If I had a dollar for every time a dinner party guest told me he or she didn’t like white wine, I’d probably buy a dozen acres in 78704.
I don’t blame them; most Americans’ primary exposure to white wines tends to come either in the form of buttery California chardonnays that are more appropriate to dip lobster in than to drink alongside it, or through mass-market, industrially produced wines that bear about as much relation to the real thing as a fish stick does to the sashimi at Uchi.
My typical response to these skeptical visitors is to point to a decanter full of red, make some excuse about how “the good stuff” still needs a little time to open up, then suggest that they try a half-glass of one of my favorite whites, just to kill some time until it’s ready to move to more familiar territory.
Most will agree, whether out of a desire to try something new, or sheer Texan politesse. Then the fun starts. They’ll swirl the wine in their glass, and sniff tentatively. Then the quizzical look will come across their face. “What is this? It smells amazing.”
Nice and frosty.
“Taste,” I’ll suggest.
A small sip. Then a bigger sip. Then, “Wow. This is delicious. What is it?”
Well, Riesling, of course. One of the world’s most popular white wines, and the noble grape most Americans are least likely to have ever explored.
As often as not, a few bottles later, the decanter of red will sit on the sideboard, untouched, as the conversation continues, my evangelism for the night successful.
What it is about Riesling that makes it appeal to wine drinkers who “don’t like” white wine? What do you need to know in order to buy a good one? And where can you find them?
Well, to start, it’s hard to find any foods that don’t play well with Riesling. From shellfish to shawarma, cheese to chorizo, a well-made Riesling can complement the flavor of just about anything. And speaking of that chorizo, unlike many other wines, it stands up well to spiciness in everything from tacos to Thai.
Not only that, but it’s one of the few grapes that can turn out well in just about every wine producing region. Pacific northwest? No problem. Australia? There are some spectacular Australian Rieslings. California? Yep. New York? Even New York. And, of course, Austria, France, and even Italy make transcendent examples.
So, where to start? Rieslings can run the gamut from bone-dry to syrupy sweet, but I find the best wines to start with are the ones that have a touch of sweetness to balance out a grape that can also display significant acidity.
Given the diversity of expressions of the grape, how does the average person know what they’re going to get? Well, as always, an informed retailer can be your best friend when buying any wine. In Austin proper, Austin Wine Merchant has a great selection, and knowledgeable salespeople. And East Side Wines does aight, too.
Don't let the screwtop fool you. This is good stuff.
So, what’s this week’s wine? Well, by the photo, you can see that it is, indeed a Riesling.
It’s also good two big things going for it: it’s cheap and available. You should be able to find this fantastic Dr. L. Riesling all over the place for right around $10 a bottle. (I got this one at the Whole Foods Mothership.)
It starts off with a whiff of gasoline on the nose, which is one of Riesling’s hallmarks. (Not in a bad way. But then again, I maintain that the three best smells in the world are coffee, petrol, and weed.) Oh. And it’s sweet. Not Kool-Aid-sweet, but mojito-level-sweet. But it’s got enough acidity to balance out the sugar. Tastes of pineapple, banana, and other tropical fruits keep hitting you, through a medium-short finish.
Basically, this is the perfect gateway drug for people who think they don’t like white wine.
Oh, and at 8.5% alcohol, you can drink it all day, which, uh, I may have already done.
Go ahead. Try it. You’ll like it!
The wine: Loosen Bros. Dr. L. Riesling.
The vintage: 2013
The score: 8.5/10
The price: $10
The source: Whole Foods Mothership
How weird is it? It's not that weird, unless you don't usually drink white wine-- or unless your only reference point with sweet wine is White Zinfandel. Call it a 3/10.