Changing of the Guard

I remember a continuous string of about 30 years of warm, sunny May birthdays stretching back to my Canadian youth. For me as a kid, after a long winter, there was nothing like being outside in a T-shirt playing street hockey, with the last of the melting snow providing barriers for the game and preventing missed shots from going down the street. Though I currently live on the same line of latitude, but much farther east, our world is now arguably warmer at this time of year. May is such a transitional, hopeful month. The world around us once again becomes alive, stretching its limbs like we do after a long slumber. And June, with all its verdant color and optimism, is the perfect backdrop for the last day of school when children embrace the seemingly endless summer ahead with excitement and glee.

Now, as a wine-loving adult, for me, this time of year brings a changing of the guard for wine. Like summer clothing coming out of its six-month hibernation, I want a change. I want refreshing, more invigorating wine, which, in my case, is Riesling.

I love German Rieslings in particular for their vibrant, food-friendly qualities. Many people have yet to discover the diversity of this noble variety in general, which along with Chardonnay, is still considered by the wine world to have the greatest white wine grapes. Still, many are frustrated by the seemingly random nomenclature of German wine labels.

Confused?

Understanding these enigmatic, multifarious labels may be easier than you think. Basically, a German estate wine label has four major parts. The first part has a name that ends with "er" - that often contains more letters than a mailbox - and is the town name. The second name is usually the specific place or vineyard site. The next line will typically say Riesling, followed by the style, such as Kabinett, Spatlese or Auslese.

The quality levels of German wines are rated by their sugar content at harvest, not at bottling, contrary to what many may believe; and the sweeter the wine, the more expensive it will be. So, even though conventionally a Kabinett is typically drier than an Auslese and a sweet Kabinett!

Help!

While some producers help by using the terms "Trocken" (dry) or "Halbtrocken" (semi-dry), many producers leave these off the labels. But here's a trick: the best way to determine the relative dryness of a German Riesling is to look at the alcohol level. If it is below 10%, it will be a sweet wine. An alcohol level from 10% to 12% will be an "off-dry" wine, meaning slightly sweet (getting drier incrementally as the alcohol goes up). Wines above 12% will be dry.

Take Another Look

Germany has enjoyed a string of excellent vintages for a while and quality has never been better. Still, there are many other regions that make excellent Riesling. Some areas, like Alsace in France, make the definitive dry Rieslings of the world, and are clearly named by varietal; they represent the only place in France that names their wines this way rather than by place or area names. This may, in Alsace, have something to due with the fact that place names often have Germanic-sounding names given their relative proximity to the German border. Thus, that may be the reason the French call them by varietal! Either way, it serves us customers very well, making the wines easy to understand. Washington State and Western Australia also make excellent, dry Rieslings as do some wineries in California. For the latter, you usually have to see the word "dry" to be sure of the style.

If you've been reluctant to try Rieslings in the past, try an ensemble of cheese, nuts, dried fruits, cold meats and bread at an outdoor lunch with a cold bottle of off-dry German Riesling on a warm sunny day. Once you taste the magic, you'll surely be hooked.