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If ever there were a misunderstood grape, it is Riesling. Whenever I get together with winemakers, Chefs and Sommeliers, it seems that we always start off with a bottle of Riesling, but most of the American public shies away from wines made from this venerable, ancient grape. Let’s take a look and try to find out why.

Like many other Americans, my first experiences with Rieslings (pronounced REE sling) were anything but noble. College students have always had little money to spend on drink, so inexpensive, simple, sweet German Rieslings like Zellerschwarzenkatz, Blue Nun, Black Tower and Liebfraumilch were what we bought. They were enjoyable in that they contained alcohol, seemed more sophisticated than offering your date a beer, and they were fine for a young, inexperienced palate. We drank them and we enjoyed them, and I make no excuses for that. I am very glad, though, that most of the Rieslings made are quite unlike those of my youth.

Most people have a sweet tooth. We are born with a taste for sweetness, and eating foods when they were ripe (and sweet) was necessary for our early ancestors’ survival. We Americans have a notorious appetite for sweets, but seem to hate the idea of our wine having even the slightest trace of sugar. (This natural sugar, from the grape, is left over from the fermentation process and is called residual sugar.) We drink soft drinks with the equivalent of twelve spoonfuls of sugar per can, but run from a touch of natural sweetness in our wine, and we miss out on so much. Think about it: have you enjoyed a soda with a slice of pizza, or a shake with a burger? Lots more sugar there than in almost any Riesling. The slightly sweet “off-dry” Rieslings go very well with food, and once you give them a try I think you’ll agree.

Riesling was brought up the Rhine River by the conquering Romans, replacing the native grapes found growing there. It was able to flourish in cool climates with a small amount of rainfall and early frosts. Riesling remains the most important grape for winemaking in Germany to this day, and so much of German cuisine pairs so beautifully with Riesling that Germans drink more wine per capita than do the French! Riesling spread west to Alsace, on the French side of the Rhine, where it, also, is the dominant grape, making a delicious match with the regional dishes, such as Charcroute Garnie and Quenelles of Pike.

“Serious” German Rieslings, often the dry ones, usually have labels that are difficult to understand. You really have to know a lot about German wines to decipher the labels, and the information, while plentiful, can often confuse novices. The old Gothic typefaces used in printing them didn’t help much, either. Tradition ruled the day and, happily, that day is passing. Willie Gluckstern, one of my favorite importers, uses his own eye-catching labels and, on the back labels, tells us the level of residual sugar and of acidity. Talk about truth in labeling! Some day everyone may follow Willie’s common sense lead.

Wine lovers should know that Riesling is the most versatile of all grapes, capable of making the driest, most delicate of wines, the richest, most dense, sweet-as-honey dessert wines, and almost anything in between, either still or sparkling. I believe that Rieslings are perhaps the most food-friendly wines, in that they compliment so many foods, and they do not compete with their flavors. Rieslings, surprisingly, are also a perfect match with many dishes that we usually associate with red wines! Delicious and refreshing, low in alcohol, an occasional touch of sweetness, an aromatic fruitiness paired with crisp acidity: who could ask for more in a wine?

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper