My First Article as a Wine Columnist

Link to RMGT artcle published July 2011

This has been my favorite article to write and research yet. Riesling is hands down my desert island wine, so it was easy to make a case for why it is a great summer porch pounder. I am very well aware it is much more than that, but the more we get the word out there that it's more than simply sweet syrupy blah, the better. Riesling, more than just your grandma's sweet wine. I hope you enjoy it and look for my column next month!

Cheers,
Amy Payne


Riesling, More Than Just Your Grandma’s Sweet Wine

With the many intricacies that Riesling has to offer, calling it merely a summer wine is almost a slap in the face. But with recent consumer awareness and the backing of the sommelier community, it is a wine you cannot neglect on this summer’s selections.

“It goes with everything” was the marketing campaign that Blue Nun used to storm the U.S. markets in the mid-1980s, selling 1.5 million cases in its peak year. They got one thing right; Riesling is one of the most versatile wines to pair with food. But they also tainted the consumer opinion of the grape.

Many consumers today associate Riesling with the mass-produced, semisweet Liebfraumilch, a blend of primarily high yielding grapes such as Sylvaner and Müller-Thurgau. Exported German wines have come a long way since ‘grandma’s sweet wine'. Riesling is finally starting to get some credit, despite Blue Nun.

Riesling dates back to the 15th century in Rheingau and is nearly every sommelier’s desert island wine.

“I always get a raised eyebrow when I tell people my favorite grape varietal is Riesling,” explained Alpana Singh, Master Sommelier and Director of wine and spirits for Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago. “People usually think it is a cheap wine. The average consumer has been trained to stay away from sweet wines, thinking they aren’t sophisticated.”

Eddie Osterland, America’s first Master Sommelier, attributes a 1966 Jos. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling feinste Auslese to his career choice in wine, coining it as his light bulb wine. “It grabbed me by my senses and said slow down,” exuded
Osterland.

There are two different kinds of Riesling drinkers: the white Zinfandel sweet wine lovers and the true wine geeks. The dichotomy between consumer and professional opinions leaves Riesling as one of the best kept secrets in the wine industry.

Damon Goldstein, owner of San Diego-based German wine importing company Truly Fine Wines Inc., says his biggest challenge has been defeating the consumer misconception of the varietal.

“Riesling is a polarized grape consumed by the top 5 percent and bottom 5 percent,” said Goldstein. “The 90 percent in the middle don’t know the first thing about Riesling.”

Riesling used to fetch higher prices than first growth Bordeaux. In 1890 a case of Château Lafitte sold for 40 shillings, while a case of wine from the Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard sold for 63 shillings.

According to the Pacific Rim Riesling Wine Rules pamphlet, Riesling exports from Germany have been on the rise since 2001, with the U.S. becoming its second largest export market. Sommeliers are the front runners of its resurgence.

“It’s really not just one grape, it’s a bunch of different grapes depending on the style that you are playing with,” said Shayn Bjornholm, Master Sommelier and Education Director of the Washington State Wine Commission.

Riesling is classified as a noble varietal due to its diversity, age worthiness, complexity of aromatics, expression of place, historical relevance, acidity and food pairing qualities. It has the widest range in style of any other white grape: from sparkling to still wine, bone dry to ice wine and tba, and between 6.5 percent and 14 percent alcohol.

“There are not many 20 dollar wines that could age for 100 years,” said Geoff Kruth, Master Sommelier and Wine Director of Sonoma’s Farmhouse Inn. “What you get for your money is remarkable.”

According to Kevin Zraly of Windows on the World wine school, 90 percent of wines produced today are meant to be consumed within one year of bottling. Riesling is one of the few white grapes that come into its own with age, developing secondary tertiary aromas. It makes for a wise investment as a buyer because you don’t have to worry about selling it quickly.

The Germans make their wine like they make their cars: with precision. Twenty percent of Germany’s vineyards are planted with Riesling, most of which are on steep mountainside slopes to increase sun exposure. This demands hand harvesting and makes rich soils scarce due to avalanches from rain.

“It is noble because it’s a diva and needs the right conditions to grow well,” said Singh.

Because Riesling needs the perfect conditions to thrive, there is not anymore area to expand production in Germany. The majority of winemakers only produce 50-75,000 bottles a year, which is mostly consumed locally or throughout Europe. The laws of supply and demand would say that Riesling is a hot commodity.

Unlike any other grape, Riesling expresses a unique place. Fernando Beteta, Master Sommelier and Education Director for Chicago’s Tenzing Wine and Spirits says it serves as an amplifier of terrior, meaning it is a blank canvas for the soil and climate to express itself.

Riesling is also known for having lower alcohol and piercingly high acidity, food pairings best friend. We have all heard of pairing Riesling with complex, spicy cuisines like Thai Food,but it’s time to start thinking out of the box.

“Its structure lends itself to different foods more than any other wine,” said Kruth. Try Korean barbecue and beef short ribs. The Riesling cuts through the fat and complements the charred flavors, mirin, soy and brown sugar. Other pairing ideas include bright summer sauces, grilled vegetables and barbequed meats or salty pork dishes.

The first 100 percent Riesling vineyard was planted in 1716 at Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau, thus the origin of the term, Johannisberg Riesling. It is hard to classify a grape with such a strong history as simply a summer quaffer. But the lower alcohol levels make it an optimal choice for drinking under the sun.

“Riesling can make a good porch pounder,” said Bjornholm.“The higher acidity leaves you feeling quenched and lifted up instead of weighted down.”

To target the 90 percent of consumers that are still out of the Riesling loop, you must know your audience. The two largest groups of wine consumers are the baby boomers at 77 million and the millennium generation at 70 million. Zraly says that of the two, the millennium is consuming the most.

According to Kruth, the best way to appeal to the consumer is to either use appropriate pairings or sell them old enough so the sweetness is not as obvious. He also says it is important to not push Riesling on the wrong people.

“Once they get it in the glass, the majority of folks usually dig it,” explained Bjornholm.

Riesling is grown in many regions around the world. Although Germany is often considered the benchmark, other regions to look for include Washington State, New York, New Zealand, Austria and Alsace.

“People are starting to understand the grape and trust sommeliers. I am looking forward to the future of Riesling blowing up,” stated Bjornholm.

Turkey Day Wine Pairings

It is that time of year...the holidays have snuck up on us again. Being new to Chicago, I am learning new traditions. Yesternight, we experienced the Festival of Lights for the first time. Let me paint the picture for you...people crowded in the streets waiting in anticipation to see Mickey Mouse, bundled up in many layers (you can see your breath it is so cold), fighting to get front row seats to the show, children screaming, most of which are on their parents shoulders, ambulances driving through the crowd every half hour, stepping over piles of horse manure. Every 10 minutes, a float would come by with a Disney character and the crowds would scream. Ending the spectacle with fireworks, officially announcing "let the shopping begin!"

Before the Black Friday and battle over who gets this years hot trend first commences, a pleasant holiday called Thanksgiving must pass. It is one of my favorite holidays because the sole purpose is to be thankful for what we have, express gratitude, and enjoy each others company. It does not revolve around the practice of giving, or in most cases taking, gifts. Even though we know that our stomach is the size of our fist, we manage to fit 2 or sometimes 3 platefuls of food in our bellies. Then wonder why we feel tired and blame it on the amino acid L-triptothen. Also blaming the lack of self control on adding a winter coat of fat layer to protect us from the cold. Before the fun begins, we must ask the most important questions of all... what wine pairs best with the Thanksgiving feast?

From the mouth of Terry Theise himself,

I’d suggest one of two things, and both together if you can manage it. First, the Champagne shouldn’t be too dry, and second, it should be mostly Pinot Noir. A great option (if you can find it) is Vilmart Cuvée Rubis (Rosé) or even harder to find, the vintage version of it. But really any Vilmart will work, as this vintner is sensible as regards dosage. His NV Grand Cellier has 12 grams/liter, and if I had to pick a single wine from my portfolio for that meal, this is the one. However, the best possible option is German Riesling with a certain sweetness. We ourselves will have a Pfalz wine, probably with 10-15 years bottle age, of Spätlese or even Auslese ripeness.

There you have it, ladies and gentleman, a perfect pairing! I remember the first time I tried Turkey with a Spätlese Riesling, it was life changing! We called it Mission Gobel Gobel. From the back of the employee entrance, we spotted it, a left over perfectly good turkey that was going to waste. As one of us watched the halls for security and loitering guests, the other went in for the goods. Moments later, we triumphed, glaoting over our turkey as it was being carved. Then we tasted it, a perfectly seasoned piece of turkey with a Donnhoff Spätlese Riesling, the usual suspect, to wash it down. It reminded me of the first time I had popcorn and chocolate together, an unlikely match, but as they say...opposites attract. After all these years of being fooled into thinking Pinot Noir was the ultimate wine for the Thanksgiving experience, I was missing out.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with loved ones, Turkey and Riesling and plenty of it!