Riesling

Also known as

White Riesling

Riesling, also called White Riesling, is a white-skinned variety (Vitis vinifera) whose country of origin is Germany, most likely the Rhine Valley, with references placing it in Alsace by 1470 and Austria by 1700. DNA-marker studies name Heunisch weiss (the French Gouais blanc) as one parent; the other is probably a seedling of Traminer and V. sylvestris with unknown berry color.

Germany remains its heartland, with vines in all 13 wine regions, notably the Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Mosel, and Rheingau. It also grows in Alsace, Austria, Australia (especially the Clare and Eden valleys), New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Canada, and several central European countries.

Riesling is aromatic and high in acidity, rarely oaked, and made in styles from bone dry to lusciously sweet, including sparkling. Cool-climate wines show green apple and citrus; warmer sites yield peach and tropical notes. With age, richer examples can develop honeyed tones and a characteristic petrol-like note.