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Riesling
By Brenda Francis
I overheard a friend proclaim "if I was only allowed to drink one white wine for the rest of my life, I think it would be riesling." I tend to agree with him. Riesling covers all the bases. It's known for its alluring aromas of freshly cut fruit and honeysuckle. When you stick your nose in a glass of riesling you understand why they call it bouquet. I'll bet the first time they used the word 'layered' when describing a wine they were drinking riesling. It's always complex and can taste clean and refreshing, to exotic and completely distracting. Its finish crescendos in your mouth.
Riesling has a wide palate of flavors to draw from like apples, peaches, apricots, mangos, tangerines, and limes. It also has a perfume-like floral side and often suggests a twinkle of minerality. Mouthwatering acidity offers a compliment to the intense fruit and distinct honey flavors.
Germany has many levels of ripeness and quality with its pinnacle offering being made from frozen, late harvest grapes, a glorious elixir called Eiswein. As a dessert wine, riesling tastes like a liquid sunset, vivid, dazzling, and intensifying.
Riesling is one of the most versatile white wines. It can create a synergy with foods that are not usually complimented by a glass of wine, like ham and turkey. It is fantastic with spicy cuisine like Thai, Indian, Vietnamese or Mexican dishes.
Look to the screw cap clad new world versions from New Zealand and Australia. Offerings from Oregon and Washington can be created in an old world fashion with residual sugar or a dry new world fashion. Germans are the experts in vinifying riesling and use the word 'trocken' for their dry versions. Don't overlook the Alsatians, who prefer theirs riesling completely dry and bottle it in the classic flute bottle.
Refreshing and food friendly, riesling offers flexibility that most other white grapes lack. Of course you don't have to drink riesling exclusively, but with all its versatility and variety you could drink a different bottle every night and always be captivated.
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