3 American Rieslings to Drink Right Now

After 52 classes of New York Times wine school, this was probably our least favorite. Both the wines and the pairings did not hold a candle to one of our favorites which was the Leitz Dry German Riesling with Panang Beef Curry. The Ravines Finger Lakes Dry Riesling showed some tart lime notes with minerality and a supple body. It was served with lemongrass Monkfish which cut the initial tartness and made the wine better. This wine seemed to represent a dry Riesling the best and was our favorite. The Tatomer “off dry” Santa Barbara Riesling was not perceived dry at all. What showed was a peachy rich body with a lot of viscosity. When paired with Oysters with cucumber juice and caviar it was a huge miss. Lastly, we tried the Teutonic from Oregon and got some more of the “off dry.” It showed apple on the understated nose and stone fruit. It did seem to go well with the Crab Risotto and corn pudding that was matched with it.

We enjoyed the Ravines Argetsinger single vineyard 2009 with the recommended recipe for Coq au Riesling https://tinyurl.com/ybmrkq3u https://instagram.com/p/BmqbfHih0fn/ . This wine had a long story to tell. We started drinking it at 55F. The wine had a clean acidity and a round minerally body. I cooked the dish with an Alsace Riesling the day before and indeed reheating it made the flavors blend beautifully. As the wine warmed there were some tropical notes too but they didn’t bother us. There were many layers of flavor in this wine and in the dish as well. I think we can say it was our favorite this month.

Of all the rieslings listed in the article, the only one available at our local, very large party goods store was the Forge Cellars from the Finger Lakes. The first couple of meals, I was mostly aware of its acidity. Then, with sushi and wasabi sauce, it bloomed! It was exactly what the mild pickled and spicy-hot food needed. For the first time, I could taste its fruit. Tried the same meal a week later with a dry gewürztraminer, and it was not the same. The proprietor of a small local wine shop has told me that rieslings are among the most varied and nuanced of all wines, in his opinion. I'm ready to go down the rabbit hole.

This time I will have to write from memory. We have an order of all three to be shipped as soon as the weather is cool enough. We have drunk and enjoyed the Teutonic and Ravines in the past and are very much looking forward to trying the Tatomer. Dry rieslings are very refreshing and a lovely complement to summer food. We first tried the Teutonic this spring when it was featured in the 20 under $20 article. I had put a star next to it to remember to buy it again. It struck me as a wine that we enjoyed but would also be able to share with guests and be pretty sure they would like it too, a well-balanced wine.

Eric, how would the Lelanau Black Star reisling fit into this tasting trio?

Once again, Asimov is dismissive of so-called "mass marketed" wines; e.g. the only wines most of us can afford. I would mentioned one of these, but I'm afraid only staff writers are allowed to recommend specific wines in these pages. There is one domestic Riesling in particular available for under $10 that is consistently highly rated by every wine critic I'm aware of, except for Mr. Asimov. Maybe I shouldn't buy a Ford or Honda, since they're mass-marketed. Please, NYT, can we please get a wine critic who makes recommendations for the 99%? By the way, only one of these 3 wines was available in my very well-stocked wine store in Chicago.

Eric forgot saying about the Rieslings produced in Alsace, France. There you can find some great options full of dryness and minerality.

Eric - Enough already with the white wine! Bring on some red. Not counting the Frappato (which wasn't anything special), February was the last decent red. South America, South Africa, Spain, or Australia just to name a few areas. Would love to see a Malbec or even Bobal. My tasting group was able to try all 3 of your Riesling picks. The Teutonic was the favorite by a small margin. Everyone felt that even though these wines were "dry", they were still too sweet for our taste. We'll stick with the German and Austrian Rieslings.

Here in Northeast Ohio, there are plenty of fine Rieslings available from local wineries. I've yet to see Mr. Asimov acknowledge the existence of Ohio wines, let alone recommend them to his readers. But for sheer availability (and drinkability) you can always fall back on Chateau Ste. Michelle from Washington State for a fine affordable Riesling.

Hermann J. Wiemer's 2014 late harvest Riesling remains a favorite. It's full-bodied, with a dark golden straw color, lusciously redolent of apricot and honeyed orange peels. Pairs fantastically with BBQ fare, but it makes for a memorable standalone dessert wine, too.

We had high expectations for the 2015 Tatomer Kick on Ranch Riesling. I was thrilled to find out if Wachau experience and Kick-On-Ranch expertise make the impossible happen: To make a california Riesling taste like Wachau. After the first sip we looked at each other and said: This is actually quite sweet. I got some metallic and some tropical notes here. Banana and pineapple. Not what I thought it would be. Last but not least back to the Willamette Valley and the Teutonic Riesling 2016. I dared to experiment and tried it with my interpretation of East Carolina bbq. I smoked pork shoulder (boston butt, indirect heat. hickory log) for an hour, then finished it in an instant pot pulled it apart and mixed it with a sauce of cider vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and cayenne, served it on buns with homemade slaw. This wine tasted clean and round it had sort of a German mouthfeel to it. It was sweet too but that actually helped with this spicy, somewhat fruity dish. We liked it. My 4 year old daughter Charlotte called it a “Bird Wine” because of the pheasant on the label. “A bird wine is yummy in the tummies of daddies and mommies” she rhymed.

Good Afternoon: Odd--found the wineries but the wrong varietals. But did find another Kick-On Vineyard Riesling, the 2016 Stirm. Dinner: the Coq au Riesling recipe at the bottom of the article, alongside rice and sautéed green and golden zucchini. Music: no music this time. Instead, the latest episode of Better Call Saul. Something is wrong in the state of Albuquerque, which means that all is well with the world. Color: very pale golden straw. Meanwhile, Gus Fring is playing god, which always brings a big smile to his face. By his standards. Nose: wonderful--melon, peach, spice, orange peel, orange blossom. Jimmy has the strangest job interview in history. Taste: same as the nose, plus lemon, orange, grapefruit, very long finish, flavors seem to bloom on the palate, great acidity without bitterness, a little peppery on the finish. Kim's flaying her ex-boss alive with only her words, and I'm having seconds on the rice with the sauce. The chicken and wine made for one of the best food and wine pairings ever, the zucchini seemed a little underflavored with the Riesling, while the melon and Stirm complemented each other quite well. And this week's episode ends with Gus playing god again, with an even bigger smile on his face. The Stirm 2016 Kick-On might be the best off-dry American Riesling I've ever had. Another fine month for the Wine School. Also nice to see so many new visitors in the Comments section.

Teutonic update: In a cameo role on night 2, my one remaining glass of T stole the show. Dinner was a spicy hot, half-a-notch-below-fiery, roast pork tenderloin with vinegary hot cherry peppers. The Catalan red I poured with it, a trepat, tolerated the heat, but did not begin to relieve it. The T, though, thick and sweet, was cooling, soothing and instantly wonderful. Pair this wine with all manner of spicy foods!

We started this month by experimenting with several Rieslings from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Japanese vegetable hibachi (zucchini, onion, mushroom, broccoli). First we tried the biodynamic and Demeter-certified Montinore “Almost Dry Riesling” 2015 (my wife who claimed she enters the challenge with skepticism added “and by almost dry they mean sweet”). Indeed it seemed like a sweet apple cider with an odd finish of oak spice or menthol or eucalyptus. I gave this wine another day and another chance with a good spicy Szechuan Chicken Gong Bao and was surprised how exotic flavors of lychee and mandarin orange developed and the odd finish suddenly just blended in well with the food. Brooks 2016 which actually smelled like a Riesling, was pleasantly crisp apple-y and refreshing with a lingering carbonation. Then we moved on to Florence Fabricant’s White-Clam Quesadillas https://tinyurl.com/ycner3xs . While I learned mastering the art of grilling quesadillas on a charcoal fire the Ravines 2015 Dry Riesling spoiled me with it’s nice brisk and vibrant acidity, it’s bone dryness and it’s velvety mouthfeel. We thought the dish was an excellent pairing and decided to repeat the next day with the Tatomer.

Sunday night’s citrusy menu, lime trout and orange-pancetta asparagus ( tinyurl.com/y8uhdedc , tinyurl.com/y7xyaov2 ) was chosen with a drier, and less apple-y wine in mind than what the Teutonic turned to be. I’m surprised Eric chose this, to me, spatlese sweet bottle. I was ok with it, Barb called it “not bad for a riesling” (seems neither of us are fully on board the riesling boat), but it was worlds sweeter than anything I’d picture Eric going for. To answer his questions: the acidity was quite sweet with the faintest hint of citrusy tartness. The contrasty mouthfeel had both a silky smooth plushness—reminded me, in texture, and exaggerating only just a little, of the syrup canned pears might come in—and a hint of citrus vibrancy. Mostly the wine was golden ripe apple sweet. It was ok with the lime trout. It was a lot better, and a lot more subtle than I’d first given it credit for, with the complex flavors of the orange-pancetta asparagus: happy with the sweet-ish orange, comfortable with the salty pancetta, and darkly fascinating with the thyme. That’s a pairing I’d go back for. And I’d love to try it with some pork-apple concoction. Or maybe a sweet, mildly spiced curry? Or go wild with these bad boys tinyurl.com/yctepclq !

Five of us tasted three American Rieslings: Ravines and Tefethen that were dry and the Brooks from the Willamette Valley. The Ravines had nice acid and mouth feel, but one of our group was put off by an unpleasant after taste. The Trefethen from Napa fared the worst and tasted flat to most of us. The Brooks, not quite as dry as the others, garnered the most positive comments. It pared exceptionally well with a nice cheddar. Most of the group were not wowed by the Rieslings, but a couple really enjoyed sampling how this varietal is expressed in different locals. All of us are anxious to get back to the fall and the Reds that are sure to follow.

Currently drinking a Riesling from Kontakosta from Long Island's North Fork. Delicious, and reasonably priced. Probably tough to find if you're out of the LI/NYC market, but worth the search.

Drinking 2016 K. Frank dry riesling and reminded of what I'm missing when I slavishly drink red Burgundy. This wine from a 65 degree natural cellar has a stoniness, tartness, apple taste that is coached along with a bubbliness in the cheeks that is a fun-loving honest treat. The light color when poured is remarkable. A minor sweetness that may get a little flabby when drunk alone so continued the Upstate New York thread by eating Wegman's wonderful stuffed grape leaves alongside it. It's been a while since I attended Wine School and am delighted to see few gripes about wine costs and much higher limits on reply characters. Glad to see everybody in agreement the current distribution system is failing the consumers. We should rise up!

Trisaetum and Lemelson’s dry Rieslings are incredible and the vineyards are beautiful. Highly recommend!!

I have to admit that the Riesling boat was probably the last one I boarded on my wine journey. I love acid, but sweetness was not one I could truly appreciate until I started hanging out at Terroir and with Paul Grieco I had no choice but to give the wine a try. Since I am less familiar with the international expressions of the grape, I opened 4 bottles of wine - two from Mosel (Karthäuserhof and Richter), the Tatomer Kick-On Ranch and Ravines Estate Riesling. I tried each American wine against each the Germans. In short, it reminded me of trying white Burgundy vs any other Chardonnay in the world. There is a difference. German Rieslings have that steeliness, that bright up lifted-ness. It is a clarity. For the US wines,the Ravines was most similar to German, but an additional base (almost heavier) and funk - the kind I can only describe as my grandma's super humid lawn in PA, covered in mushrooms. Makes sense, since lakes are in fact very humid areas. The Tatomer was delicious, but I would pair with something like pork, not spicy or lighter food. It had a real body - it was loud, which is definitely the first time I have ever described a white wine as loud. It's like when you have sisters and one is the quiet, elegantly dressed, evasive one, while the other is in your face (dare I say Elsa and Anna?) I wish I would have had the opportunity to try the Teutonic, to see the influence of fires, but I if I had to choose between the US wines, Ravines would be my choice.

I received an email from Ravine's today. (I am on their mailing list.) Because Eric picked one their their wines for tasting this month, they are shipping that wine (and that wine alone) for free if you buy at least 6 bottles. I am not trying to sell wine for them. I am just letting those who don't live in the Finger Lakes region how to get one of the wines Eric picked this month. Here is the Ravine's web site page for ordering the wine. http://www.ravineswine.com/?method=products.productDrilldown&product... Ugly URL, isn't it.

Love Ravines. Their Meritage, while not a white, is also a worthy buy.

Love the Finger Lakes Rieslings. The "old timers" like Hermann Wiemer and Dr. Frank's to me are world class, well-balanced, great play between the sweeter nature of the Riesling grape and the acid. Also check out Kemmeter just up the road from Hermann Wiemer, and Kueka Lake Vineyards just south of Dr. Frank. So many great Rieslings, and so little time!

When I visited Lamoreaux Landings winery on Lake Seneca this part may, the tasting room presented 7 different Riesling wines ranging from dry to very sweet (an ice wine). Case club members can taste them all for free. If you visit, be sure to ask to see the terrior map. The quality of the wines changes year to year depending on the weather, so don't write off a winery based on one tasting. If you want to buy in quantity, try Thirsty Owl winery on lake Cayuga. It ships cases for free, and offers a good sale twice a year. There is a new winery (about 2 years old) on Lake Keuka - Weis Vineyards. I find their wines refreshing. They make a nice dry Riesling. A word of suggestion. Try to center in on those wineries that grow their own grapes. The wines from those wineries seem to be often better than the wines made by wineries that have to buy the grapes.

No mention of Hermann J Wiemer Rieslings? Shame, shame... the 2016 vintage of Rieslings were outstanding (they are always great - but 2016 was a stellar year). The Forge, Lamourex Landing, Boundary Breaks and Sheldrake Point Rieslings are all fabulous. The Finger Lakes is an amazing wine destination - warm, friendly people and reasonable tasting fees.

The inability to find local wines that are not widely distributed can be both good and bad. While it makes your job harder in recommending a wine in a national publication there is the flip side of encouraging tasting local wines to fine to find good ones that suit your taste. The Michigan wine region is moving away from every winery making a chardonnay and a cab toward wineries growing grapes and making wines that are best suited to the region. Riesling is one of those grapes and the Michigan wines I enjoy most and buy are Rieslings. Find whats good in your area and support the local economy.

Its good to see that our FLX Rieslings are getting the kudos they deserve!! They reflect our terroir better than any other grape. The best wineries are doing single vineyard wines. Paul Hobbs has bought land on the east side of Seneca Lake and Herman Wiemer just purchased Standing Stone. They will only get better and better. Come visit us!!

I love a good Riesling! One thing I never really understood was why would you want to make a dry Riesling? It's all about the balance between the sugar and the acid Delicious!

For an impromptu Indian dinner, out-of-town on a Sunday night, the most promising riesling in the nearest store open was a cheap 2015 Monterey County J. Lohr Bay Mist. Won’t be rebuying. It was disjointed and, though off-dry, totally overwhelmed by the heat of even a modestly spiced biryani (nothing remotely close to vindaloo). However... the wine’s sweetness was offset, if awkwardly, by a dark musty quality and by a rich, sour, limey citrus flavor, which was the wine’s best quality by far, and practically the antithesis of the lean, precise lemon we tasted in the German spatleses last May. It screamed “California.” With lentils and especially with a mild, yogurty chickpea chat, it was lively in the mouth and not half bad.

Been here since the first wine school column and lightning has finally struck - I have both the Ravines and Teutonic Rieslings on hand. The Trefethen is available here in Dayton but I may add an Ohio wine to the mix- a Kinkead Ridge estate Riesling. Sadly that wine is no longer produced since two viscous winters in a row destroyed the vineyard.

I have long enjoyed the Navarro Rieslings which I have shared with friends and they thoroughly enjoyed them as well. The wine is demi sec and goes well with Asian foods. I prefer my wine dryer than that but it is enjoyable. Navarro also makes a late harvest individually harvested Gewurtztraminer dessert wine that is magnificent.

$50 for bottle of California Riesling? With thousands of great wines for less money... Why? Page 6 reported Johnny Depp spent $30,000 a month on wine. Was Eric Asimov his wine consultant? I'm sorry... No.

Any further information, or other name, for the Rauchwine? Sounds interesting, but I I don't see any mention of it anywhere online.

Finger Lakes rieslings are delicious and sadly, hard to find outside of upstate NY!

I live in the Finger Lakes region, and have recently started learning about local Rieslings. I prefer dry wines. My favorite so far is Boundary Breaks' #239 (2017). Boundary Breaks also makes a "Bubbly" carbonated Dry Riesling #356 (2017) that my wife loves.

Plum Hill Vineyards in North Willamette Valley. Very small local producer but available via Amazon. Excellent Riesling, a bit drier then others in the North AVA.

I fell in love with riesling wines in Germany. It took me a while to find comparable rieslings in the States. It turned out that Idaho, my neighbor State to the North, has marvelous, medium dry and Special Harvest riesling wines that I serve just before dinner. I highly recommend them. The price has been around $10 for the longest time. Always good. Au sante!

First, thank you Mr. Asimov for your years of sagacious oenophilism. Second, I was curious if there is any interest in setting up a wine vote web site of Times subscriber's preferences? Such a site would most certainly provide a broad base of selections, which might even blunt the 'Asimov' review immediate 'disappearance of' the 'recommended wine' form the shelves 'in a microsecond syndrome.' (ADORWIAMS) It might also incentivize advertisers and retailers. While we may never find a cure for ADORWIAMS, we can certainly celebrate the conviviality of subscriptional resonance (CSR). Third, it would be interesting to see what the other readers like. Forth, what are your thoughts on the NYS Liquor laws? Is the system a 21st Century gem or post Prohibition nightmare? Again, Thank you.

As a native Texan, I would encourage you to explore some of the very fine Texas Rieslings (and other Texas wines). Much of Texas was settled by German immigrants and there are many vineyards there. I refer you to Bluebonnet Hills, Brushy Creek, and Burch Family Vineyards. Texas has a surprising number of vineyards and olive groves.

While Ravines has certainly received a great deal of press in the last several years, I would recommend the Hermann Wiemer. Visited the Finger Lakes in April for tastings. Weimer was superior. Also note that the tiny FL region provided more recommended Rieslings than the other regions combined.

You should try Forge Cellars in the Finger Lakes and Ovum in Oregon!

Eroica in Washington State makes some excellent Mosel-style rieslings ranging from relatively dry to intensely sweet.

The Sawtooth dry riesling from Idaho is wonderful. I used to buy it in North Carolina. Alas, it's not distributed in Massachusetts. Grab it if you see it.