mid-$70s for an Austrian white wine? I think not.
2
I was out wandering through the Finger Lakes recently and stumbled upon a little place -- Billsboro Winery -- on Seneca Lakes western shore. My wife and I spent a glorious afternoon with one of their Rieslings. With Billsboro's dry Riesling in tow, we stumbled into a wonderful bread shop in nearby Geneva. Pairing the wine with Normal Bread's ciabatta and some local cheeses made sitting at a park on Seneca Lake a wonderful experience.
German Rieslings from the top producers in the Pfalz or the Mosel hardly make it to the US. You cannot even buy them everywhere in Germany. It still works like that: drive to the Winzer and buy directly on site. I tried to get the Lingenfelder Riesling mentioned in an 2002 article of the "Time Magazine". Mr Lingenfelder told me that this was a blend produced for the US Market, illegal to sell in Germany (Riesling blends are not allowed). So, I had to buy the straight Riesling he sells to German customers. Simply fly over to Frankfurt, rent a car, and have a nice long weekend drinking yourself through the portfolio.
If you get a chance, also try the great Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (sometimes called Morillon) from Austria, particularly from Südsteiermark and Burgenland. These are also complex and interesting wines that have a unique Austrian style.
I always wonder who Asimov thinks he's writing for. We very seldom spend over $20 for a bottle of wine, and pretty much never over $30, and we've been drinking wine by the case for 45 years.
10
"At $76, it was the most expensive wine in the tasting, not at all cheap yet much less expensive than a top riesling from Alsace."
I have to question this: Of course it is possible to find late harvest, sweet to very sweet Alsace Rieslings for more than $76. However except for bottlings from Zind-Humbrecht (which are often quite sweet), I do not know of any other Alsace Riesling without one of the late harvest designations that sell for anywhere near $76.
Dan Kravitz
I have to question this: Of course it is possible to find late harvest, sweet to very sweet Alsace Rieslings for more than $76. However except for bottlings from Zind-Humbrecht (which are often quite sweet), I do not know of any other Alsace Riesling without one of the late harvest designations that sell for anywhere near $76.
Dan Kravitz
7
The Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune comes to mind; it's rarely found for less than $125 retail (and often, significantly more than that). Of course, it is arguably the most celebrated wine produced in all of Alsace. Likewise, some of the field-harvested Grand Crus blends from Marcel Deiss, while not quite dry, also rise above this threshold.
Top-tier Austrian Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners Smaragd from the Wachau typically commanded high tariffs (but remain an absolute bargain compared to their peers in Burgundy), but there's great QPR with its Federspiels and in its other regions (Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram, etc.).
Top-tier Austrian Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners Smaragd from the Wachau typically commanded high tariffs (but remain an absolute bargain compared to their peers in Burgundy), but there's great QPR with its Federspiels and in its other regions (Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram, etc.).
2
I have been to the Mosel thrice, the Rheingau thrice, to Niagara-on-the-Lake twice, and to the Finger Lakes and I must admit that, apart from auslese, I just don't "get" Riesling. To each his own, I guess.
But Kamptal gruner veltliner, now that can be an interesting imbibe...
But Kamptal gruner veltliner, now that can be an interesting imbibe...
1
This article was a revelation for me. Admittedly, I am an amateur and I will not be paying $76 for a bottle of wine anytime soon (pearls to swine so to speak). So I was very pleased to see some $20 - 30 possibilities. I will be trying out some Austrian Rieslings very soon. Thanks!
7
Another note:
"Our No. 1 bottle was the only Wachau riesling in the tasting to omit a ripeness designation. It was the Bruck from Veyder-Malberg, a rich, resonant yet lively wine, with beautiful flavors of citrus fruit and great minerality. At $76, it was the most expensive wine in the tasting, not at all cheap yet much less expensive than a top riesling from Alsace."
Are you seriously saying that the Veyder-Malberg Bruck is a better value than a spaetlese from Egon Mueller's Scharzhofberger, JJ Prum's Weltener Sonnenuhr, or Reichsgraf von Kesselstadt's Josefhoefer -- all Mosels, granted -- any of which I can get for less than $76?
"Our No. 1 bottle was the only Wachau riesling in the tasting to omit a ripeness designation. It was the Bruck from Veyder-Malberg, a rich, resonant yet lively wine, with beautiful flavors of citrus fruit and great minerality. At $76, it was the most expensive wine in the tasting, not at all cheap yet much less expensive than a top riesling from Alsace."
Are you seriously saying that the Veyder-Malberg Bruck is a better value than a spaetlese from Egon Mueller's Scharzhofberger, JJ Prum's Weltener Sonnenuhr, or Reichsgraf von Kesselstadt's Josefhoefer -- all Mosels, granted -- any of which I can get for less than $76?
5
How much longer can America's resistance to dry cold-climate Riesling last? Nobody wants heavy, woody, not quite dry wines like Chardonnay and warm-climate (California, Australia, Sicily) Sauvignons anymore, but consumers like Herr Rosentrekker still fail to see that the EPITOME of the lean, dry, penetrating style with precisely defined and refined flavors is middle-european dry Riesling.
The German ones (unlike the Osterreichern) are mostly still great values, too. And I would expand Realworld's search area to include Franken, Rheinhessen, the Mosel, and (based on just a few wines tasted on a recent trip) Saale-Unstrut.
Not to speak of the many excellent dry Rieslings produced in French-occupied Germany (aka Alsace).
The German ones (unlike the Osterreichern) are mostly still great values, too. And I would expand Realworld's search area to include Franken, Rheinhessen, the Mosel, and (based on just a few wines tasted on a recent trip) Saale-Unstrut.
Not to speak of the many excellent dry Rieslings produced in French-occupied Germany (aka Alsace).
6
Apparently the resistance is not futile (and thank God for that; there is great Chardonnay from both warm and cool climates and Reisling remains an acquired taste). California, source of over 90% of US wine, continues to have Chardonnay as the largest percentage of the annual grape crush: 16%, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon with 11%, Zinfandel with 10%, French Colombard and Merlot, each with 8%, Thompson Seedless with 6%, Rubired with 5%, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, each with 4%. No place there for Reisling. We have some nice stuff in Niagara though... Source: http://ita.doc.gov/td/ocg/wine2011.pdf
2
As an Austrian living in wine-loving France, having come around the French natural wine approach and back to the consistently high quality of Austrian wines, I am delighted to see that these fine wines make it to the news now. I'll take your tasting list on my upcoming trip back home. Thank you for this very subte report.
3
Where's the FX Pichler?
Typically one of the top producers.
Otherwise some great selections.
Typically one of the top producers.
Otherwise some great selections.
1
This positive review reflects what we have known in Austria for a long time. I just hope that such appreciation will not result in increased export from the already-meagre output (comparatively speaking) of the small yields - we want to enjoy them in Austria!
1
I have not tasted many Austrian rieslings, and have found no fault with them.
But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send this message to German winemakers:
Traditional Praedikat wines with residual sugar are among the finest wines made. Please do not abandon them for trocken-style wines (which can be very good, but never great).
But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send this message to German winemakers:
Traditional Praedikat wines with residual sugar are among the finest wines made. Please do not abandon them for trocken-style wines (which can be very good, but never great).
8
Michael, I completely agree with you. German Rieslings are still the best and Auslese style is the best of them all. My favorite is C von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus wines. Even their "simplest" Grunhaus Rieslings age magnificently - the epitome of great German Riesling. The naturally sweet Auslesen of good vintages are sublime: infinitely subtle but surprisingly spicy and powerful, aging for 20 years and more. Unfortunately, rarely seen in Canada.
2
Is then the scandal of some additives in Austrian white wines forgotten?
As to the quality of regional varieties, I do not understand how the inferior wines from Rheingau and Nahe can be mentioned in the same breath with Mosel. If one is looking for a less dry or sweet Riesling, then it is Mosel. For the real dry stuff, it is Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr in Alsace.
As to the quality of regional varieties, I do not understand how the inferior wines from Rheingau and Nahe can be mentioned in the same breath with Mosel. If one is looking for a less dry or sweet Riesling, then it is Mosel. For the real dry stuff, it is Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr in Alsace.
1
" ... Is then the scandal of some additives in Austrian white wines forgotten? ..."
Forgotten?
No, no chance, but apart from the fact that it was some 30 years ago, the scandal has had a good side effect:
Quality for Austrian wines has improved quite a lot, just like quality control has too - across the board.
Forgotten?
No, no chance, but apart from the fact that it was some 30 years ago, the scandal has had a good side effect:
Quality for Austrian wines has improved quite a lot, just like quality control has too - across the board.
4
Someone please send this to the employees at the Pennsylvania liquor stores. Everyone I have spoken to insist ALL Rieslings are sweet. I have written to the control board and their response is that while they offer free training, they cannot mandate that the employees take the classes. Many of my favorite wines in Europe are unavailable here. Sadder yet is the fact that the while the few that take the classes are very knowledgeable, most know nothing about the products they sell.
7
It's hard to find a unionized PLCB employee who knows what they are talking about, but they do have some nice Fingerlakes Rieslings in the better stores. They are often the "semidry" Rieslings but I don't think you'd be disappointed. Try Lamoreux Landing, Hermann J. Wiemer, Heart & Hands.
There is a gentleman in the Devon state store who has pretty good wine knowledge and is very helpful, but I forget his name.
There is a gentleman in the Devon state store who has pretty good wine knowledge and is very helpful, but I forget his name.
1
I am not a wine expert although I drink my share of wine. As a rule, I don't much care for so called dry rieslings. If I want a dry wine, I prefer a sauvignon blanc. Rieslings are meant to have a slightly sweet edge to them, it comes naturally to them and gives them the overall "lieblich" quality that I like, lieblich meaning light, lovable.
5
Sorry Sir, that is not the case with dry Rieslings from the Rheingau or Rheinpfalz. The issue here is that most of these Rieslings are not exported to the USA and are sold out in Germany. Traditionally the only Rieslings that make it to the USA are as you describe and people in North America have a view on that variety based on what is available.
13
It's unfortunate, but this view seems to be rather common in North America, where low cost, industrial wines dominate. A "sweet riesling" is an oxymoron in itself...
That being said, I am missing from the review one of the best rieslings in Austria, the Jurtschitsch Urgestein from Langenlois. Highly recommended!
That being said, I am missing from the review one of the best rieslings in Austria, the Jurtschitsch Urgestein from Langenlois. Highly recommended!
1
This is, sadly, a rather partisan view. Have tasted plenty of rieslings from Germany and Austria that fill precisely what Rosentrekker describes. I'll try these, but one has to say that a lot of the cheerleading in these comments seems more about nationalism than wine tasting.
2