....but seriously. Ok, a customer came into my store today to pick up his wine club wines. The function of our wine club is to expose people to new and interesting wines. The customer pays a set fee, and we pick out two bottles a month for them. We try very hard to make sure that the wines are diverse, interesting, and above all, good wines. Last month one of the selections was the 2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinet. One of my co-workers reviewed the wine for our newsletter:
2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinett,
Although the 2005 vintage will forever go down in history
for its exceptional wines, the 2006 vintage is not to be overlooked.
The harvest yield was lowered due to poor weather
conditions, but those wines that did succeed are just as good,
and arguably better, than that acclaimed ’05 vintage. The Selbach
Kabinett is a good example of the high quality wines
produced in Germany during this year. On the drier side, this
wine has significant complexity and depth for a standard table
wine. A nose classic of Mosel wines, characterized by honeydew,
petrol and lemon, opens to an intense palate of citrus
peel, lemon, wet hay and green melon. The finish has a unique
grassy quality, backed by a relative amount of acidity to serve
well as a food companion. This wine would pair well with
spicy Asian dishes or lighter fare such as chicken and shellfish.
I thought the wine was kick-ass. So, imagine how it made me feel when the customer, after picking up his wines for this month, remarked "Last month we had riesling, tell them not to do that anymore. Riesling sucks!"
Now, I don't like to make absolute statements when it comes to wine. I think wine is a very subjective experience, however I have no reservations about saying absolutely that Riesling does not suck. That being said, there are plenty of Rieslings that do suck, they're generally mass-produced, cheap American Rieslings that you can find at gas stations. Basically what seems to happen to many American wine drinkers is that, in their early twenties, before they've developed a pallet for good wine, and they don't like the taste of dry wines, and they're poor college students, they end up drinking these cheap Rieslings which have all the sweetness and none of the acidity or structure that make good Rieslings good. Eventually their palates develop and they realize that these are not very good wines, and they get the mistaken impression that these wines are actually what all Rieslings taste like.
This is genuinely a tragedy. The major thing missing from Rieslings that do suck is acidity. Acidity is what makes your mouth water, what makes wines pair well with food, and what makes the difference between a sweet wine that is cloying and leaves a coating on the inside of your mouth, and one that is mouthwatering, refreshing, delicious, and generally awesome. It seems like every day I have a customer come in and tell me they don't like Riesling because it's too sweet, and one by one I try to set them straight. For every one person who I or one of my co-workers manages to re-educate and convince to try pairing a sweet German Riesling with spicy Asian food there are hundreds of people who will never realize that it was poor winemaking and poor growing conditions that made the cheap Rieslings they've had before suck. For every one person I turn on to dry Riesling from Alsace, Australia, or Washington, there are hundreds of people who may go their entire lives without knowing how awesome dry Riesling is with roast chicken.
So please, if you're reading this and you're one of the thousands of people who think that Riesling is sweet wine for old ladies and College kids, please put your hand in mine and trust me. Buy a bottle of German Riesling, order some spicy take-out from your favorite Asian restaurant. If you don't have one, then some spicy chorizo tacos will work too. Try this pairing and it will change your perception of Riesling. And if you're not convinced on the sweetness thing, or if you just don't like spicy food, then pick up a dry one (your wine professional can help you find one), put a chicken in the oven, or grill some seafood, and open your mind to one of the world's great white varietals.
Riesling is awesome.
2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinett,
Although the 2005 vintage will forever go down in history
for its exceptional wines, the 2006 vintage is not to be overlooked.
The harvest yield was lowered due to poor weather
conditions, but those wines that did succeed are just as good,
and arguably better, than that acclaimed ’05 vintage. The Selbach
Kabinett is a good example of the high quality wines
produced in Germany during this year. On the drier side, this
wine has significant complexity and depth for a standard table
wine. A nose classic of Mosel wines, characterized by honeydew,
petrol and lemon, opens to an intense palate of citrus
peel, lemon, wet hay and green melon. The finish has a unique
grassy quality, backed by a relative amount of acidity to serve
well as a food companion. This wine would pair well with
spicy Asian dishes or lighter fare such as chicken and shellfish.
I thought the wine was kick-ass. So, imagine how it made me feel when the customer, after picking up his wines for this month, remarked "Last month we had riesling, tell them not to do that anymore. Riesling sucks!"
Now, I don't like to make absolute statements when it comes to wine. I think wine is a very subjective experience, however I have no reservations about saying absolutely that Riesling does not suck. That being said, there are plenty of Rieslings that do suck, they're generally mass-produced, cheap American Rieslings that you can find at gas stations. Basically what seems to happen to many American wine drinkers is that, in their early twenties, before they've developed a pallet for good wine, and they don't like the taste of dry wines, and they're poor college students, they end up drinking these cheap Rieslings which have all the sweetness and none of the acidity or structure that make good Rieslings good. Eventually their palates develop and they realize that these are not very good wines, and they get the mistaken impression that these wines are actually what all Rieslings taste like.
This is genuinely a tragedy. The major thing missing from Rieslings that do suck is acidity. Acidity is what makes your mouth water, what makes wines pair well with food, and what makes the difference between a sweet wine that is cloying and leaves a coating on the inside of your mouth, and one that is mouthwatering, refreshing, delicious, and generally awesome. It seems like every day I have a customer come in and tell me they don't like Riesling because it's too sweet, and one by one I try to set them straight. For every one person who I or one of my co-workers manages to re-educate and convince to try pairing a sweet German Riesling with spicy Asian food there are hundreds of people who will never realize that it was poor winemaking and poor growing conditions that made the cheap Rieslings they've had before suck. For every one person I turn on to dry Riesling from Alsace, Australia, or Washington, there are hundreds of people who may go their entire lives without knowing how awesome dry Riesling is with roast chicken.
So please, if you're reading this and you're one of the thousands of people who think that Riesling is sweet wine for old ladies and College kids, please put your hand in mine and trust me. Buy a bottle of German Riesling, order some spicy take-out from your favorite Asian restaurant. If you don't have one, then some spicy chorizo tacos will work too. Try this pairing and it will change your perception of Riesling. And if you're not convinced on the sweetness thing, or if you just don't like spicy food, then pick up a dry one (your wine professional can help you find one), put a chicken in the oven, or grill some seafood, and open your mind to one of the world's great white varietals.
Riesling is awesome.
