German Rieslings
by Dr. Bob Ouellette

September 2002

 To borrow on the opening lines of the statement made on my Wine Calendar  for this morning ,I quote :”German Rieslings may not be at the top of the popularity charts at the moment, but a century ago, the situation was completely reversed” This was the feeling as I led our Les Compagnons des Bons Vins members  last night. In fact most of them made the comment that it had been a long time since we had visited this varietal to taste, enjoy and discuss.

 Nevertheless, we did have fun and as expected enjoyed the evening . No wine is probably better suited than Rieslings (especially those from Germany) when the weather is warm and you’re looking for sipping wines. I planned this tasting on the basis of the level of sweetness. And no matter what the grading , the scores were fairly consistant;  and one has to assume that no matter how sweet the wine, we  liked them equally.

 There was a clear cut favorite, and that is no surprise. The auslese with its exquisite balance of acid and fruit charmed everyone.  

Several points should be emphasized here: First of all, the matching of Rieslings to food. The debate goes on between the proponents of these wines about matching them even red meats, including Count Matuschka Greiffenclau and yours truly. Personally, my preference is for chicken, veal and the outdoor patio in summer. Occasionally, a great Riesling will enhance a dessert. Oh, we can all argue about this indefinitely….. 

The second point is the price of Rieslings from Germany. Here we are favored with a plus- note the comments made earlier.. At one time in history, an 1862 Schlock Johannisberg Riesling sold for about $10 in 1877, while an 1865 Lafite went for $7 a case (source: Turning Tables) Well, that’s not the case now, but none of the wines we tasted this evening  made it over $25.

 Conclusion: great wines for great prices !

                drbob@oxfordwineroom.com