Riesling: The wine world’s unsung hero

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Riesling. No other word sends quite the tingle of excitement up the spine of wine lovers in the know. Whether it’s the ‘Old World’ classic expressions, perfected over centuries, or racy ‘New World’ examples closer to home, there’s always a Riesling for the occasion. More on that later.

Let’s go back to the roots, so to speak. Riesling originated in the Rhine River region (crossing borders of Germany and France), with the first known reference to the grape around the 15th century. From then it’s charmed its way through Austria, the US, New Zealand and to our fine Aussie shores. It still loves a chill in the air, and thrives in a cool-climate. 

The early days of its introduction to Australia were filled with high and lows, with many poor examples of white blends referred to simple as ‘Riesling’. There were a handful of producers however, who were dedicated to the grape – none more so than Leo Buring. Leo had many fingers in the wine pie, as a trained oenologist, winemaker, educator, marketer and businessman (owning a wine bar called Ye Olde Crusty Cellar). He was a champion of wine and of Riesling in particular, with his legacy carried on through his namesake, now producing only Riesling across Australia’s best Riesling regions: Clare Valley, Eden Valley and Tasmania. 

“Winemaking isn’t a matter of life or death – it’s much more important than that!” – Leo Buring

One of the most fascinating elements of Riesling is its range. Not only does it deliciously span from youthful vibrancy (think bright citrus and floral notes), to elegant older age (honeyed notes and toasty vibes). It operates on another level: sweetness. Now, the Germans being very precise came up with their exacting ripeness scale, ranging from dry to trockenbeerenauslese (auto-correct that!), with a few stops in between. 

With the nuances youth and ripeness bring to the party, the versatility of Riesling should make it your go-to wine to bring to the party. Perfect as a dry style aperitif, or a spicy dish requiring some off-dry might to balance the palate. In true German style, it wonderous with pork dishes and if you’re playing the French card, a botrytis Riesling is perfect with a slice of blue cheese. Another added benefit – it’s generally lower alcohol that it’s counterparts! So sensible. So really, the question shouldn’t be why Riesling, rather which Riesling.