Return to Riesling

Now that the days have got longer and – touch wood – brighter, a crisp Riesling provides the perfect refreshment for a summer's evening, writes JOHN WILSON

MUCH AS I LOVE Riesling, last winter it was hard to get excited about cracking open a bottle. Instead, I found myself searching for a good rich Chardonnay or Viognier, or more likely a red wine. Riesling is like a spring morning – crisp, clear and invigorating. Now that warmer days are here, it is time to return to Riesling.

There are four regions that produce great Riesling: Austria, Australia, Alsace and, of course, Germany. Last month, I travelled to Prowein, a major wine fair in Düsseldorf. All of the wines of the world are there for tasting, but I indulged myself almost exclusively with German Riesling, one of the world’s great wines. I started off with the trocken and halb-trocken wines (dry and half-dry) and later moved on to the lighter medium-dry Kabinett and Spätlese Rieslings. Sadly few are available here, hence the necessity of the trip. This week I feature Rieslings from four great producers based in three of the best producing countries.

Australia

Australia has been growing Riesling for more than 150 years. Two regions stand out, both in south Australia; the Eden Valley and the Clare Valley. The most widely available from Eden is the delicious Pewsey Vale, which featured in our recent reader tasting. Clare Valley Riesling, with its vivid lime acidity, is an Australian classic.

Grosset Off-dry Riesling 2010, Watervale, Clare Valley, Australia, 11.5%, €25.99The Grosset winery celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Jeffrey Grosset is a modest and unassuming man but clearly exacting and obsessive about his wine, almost defining the word precision with fine intense fruits combined with minerals and wet-stone. You will never hear the words flamboyant or exotic spoken about a Grosset wine.

Grosset doesn’t make a bad wine. In addition to three Rieslings there is an excellent Chardonnay and several wonderful reds. All share a lean, spare mineral streak that mark them as special in a world where too many wines are made to a single recipe. But it is the Rieslings that make the news, and the Polish Hill Riesling is Australia’s greatest. I bought a half-dozen bottles of the 2005 five years ago and squirrelled them away. At a recent dinner, it was wonderful, light and refreshing, with added layers of complexity – light kerosene, grilled nuts and soft green fruits.

This year Grosset has released the off-dry Riesling, a single-vineyard wine. It has a fresh, floral nose leading on to a fine citrus palate, softened nicely by a light sweet touch and an excellent long mineral finish. Try it with herby Asian fish and chicken dishes.

Stockists: Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street; 64 Wine, Glasthule; thewineshop.ie

Alsace

The people are a mix of Germanic and French – as are the wines. This is the one part of France where you will find Riesling. The dry wines, with their steely backbone, are great with food.

Riesling 2009, Vignoble de Katzenthal, Domaine Meyer-Fonné, 12.5%, €19.95Félix Meyer, a seriously good winemaker of Domaine Meyer-Fonné, was in Ireland recently holding a series of masterclasses. Based in Katzenthal, one of the hotter parts of Alsace, he turns out some fascinating wines, including an excellent sparkling Crémant d'Alsace. This is made primarily from vines growing on granite soils, including some young vines planted in grand cru sites. Still very young, it has fresh, crisp, elegant fruits and a strong mineral streak, finishing dry and long.

Stockists: The Corkscrew, Chatham Street; Liston’s, Camden Street; Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street; 64 wine, Glasthule; Nectar Wines, Sandyford; Wine House, Tuam; Avoca; Redmond’s, Ranelagh and Le Caveau, Kilkenny

Germany

German Riesling is one of the most thrilling drinks on the planet. Available in dry, off-dry and sweet, the nomenclature can be difficult to understand but it is well worth the effort. There are 13 quality regions, all bar one based in the west, usually flanking the Rhine or one of its tributaries. Broadly speaking the most delicate come from the northerly Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, becoming richer and more powerful as you venture south. But the meandering rivers, ever-changing exposure and soil types mean a fascinating array of wines that change as you move from vineyard to vineyard.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2008, Max Ferd. Richter, Mosel, 8%, €17.95-€18.50There are few things nicer than a Mosel Kabinett or Spätlese. The cool climate means the Trocken style of dry wines do not always work here. However, the tingling fresh acidity of a Mosel Kabinett is the perfect foil for the subtle sweetness, a glorious blend of flowers, honey and steel. A Kabinett is delicate but full of pure Riesling flavours, a wine that charms and captivates. You can drink it with food, but I find it makes one of the best aperitifs. Dirk Richter is an engaging character with a depth of knowledge about wine.

The Sonnenuhr (sundial) vineyard lies opposite the village of Wehlen and is one of the legendary vineyards of Germany. Shallow, stony blue slate soils make wines that are lacy and delicate with a cool purity. This glorious Kabinett has light, elegant, racy, honeyed green fruits offset by a firm acidity.

Stockists: Mitchell’s IFSC; Mitchell’s, Glasthule; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street; La Touche Wines, Greystones; Power Smullen, Lucan; Wicklow Wine Co, Wicklow

Hochheimer Herrnberg Riesling Trocken 2009, Künstler, Rheingau, 12.5%, €18.99A Rheingau Riesling is bigger, richer and more structured than those of the Mosel. The region probably has the best vineyards in Germany, yet in recent years it has fallen behind other lesser-known regions, such as the Nahe and Pflaz. However, there are still plenty of stars. The Künstler family have been making wine for centuries, although the estate was founded as recently as 1965. These are impeccable wines, fresh, dry and full of fruit, but with a lovely steely core. If you fancy a real splurge, try out the Künstler Stielweg Alte Reben (old vine) Riesling Trocken. The Herrnberg is a wonderfully fresh vivid wine, with a lovely weight of peach and pear fruits, finishing long and dry. My bottle worked perfectly with baked sea bass.

Stockists: On the Grapevine, Dalkey, onthegrapevine.ie; Cabot Co, Westport, cabotandco.com

TWO UNDER €12

Mas Rabell White 2009, Torres, Catalunya, 11.5%, €9.99Vibrant and fresh with just the right amount of fruit to cushion the acidity. A great all-rounder.

Stockists: Mitchell Sons; Gibney’s, Malahide; JC Savage, Swords and Holland’s, Bray

Clos Roque d'Aspes 2006, Faugères, 13.5%, €11.79From the Languedoc, a good value wine with smooth, soft meaty dark fruits and a rounded finish. Free of all oak flavours, this would be perfect with most red or white meats.

Stockists: Marks Spencer

Beer of the week

Thornbridge Jaipur India Pale Ale, 5.9%, €4.49 for a 500ml bottleThornbridge is a recently founded brewery in Yorkshire, making beers full of character. The IPA is right up my street, full of racy citrus, yet smooth on the palate with an intense biting hoppiness and a long, dry finish. Yum.