The petrol flavour, which tastes a bit like you’d expect gasoline to taste like, is off-putting at first, but you soon develop a love for it. Living near Niagara, Ontario, I got my start drinking Riesling, and up in our cool climate, Riesling tends to be off-dry like a tart lemonade, with a dash of apple, honey, mineral and petrol. Meanwhile, an off-dry Riesling (which means ever so slightly sweet) is fantastic with spicy dishes such as sausage, Szechuan Shrimp or Tandoori Chicken as the slight sweetness puts out the fire in your mouth. A higher ABV wine will taste warmer and bolder, almost like a slight burning. When tasting wine, youll notice alcohol comes through as heat in the back of your mouth or throat.

When a wine bottle shows a varietal designation on the label (like Merlot) it means that the wine in the bottle is at least 75. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chenin Blanc are examples of grape varieties. Bone dry Riesling is perfect with dishes you’d squeeze a bit of lemon on, like Pad Thai, oysters, battered shrimp, poached Sole, or lobster. The average glass of wine contains about 11 percent to 13 percent alcohol, but bottles range from as little as 5.5 percent ABV to as much as around 20 percent ABV. Varietal wine s in the United States are often named after the dominant grapes used in making the wine. As the wine ranges from dry to sweet and from still to sparkling, you can find a Riesling for every occasion. Tack on that every country has their version of Riesling and throws words at you like Spätlese or Beerenauslese at you, and I can understand why Riesling remains undervalued and unpopular.Īmong wine enthusiasts, we are fanatic about our Riesling because it’s incredibly versatile and often inexpensive.

Unfortunately, most people get their start with Riesling’s sweet version, which tends to turn them off this fantastic white wine for life. The wine can range from bone-dry to syrupy sweet to everything in between. Riesling is also amazing with smoked sausage, Hawaiian Pizza, spicy Indian food, breaded shellfish and pork schnitzel.īefore we get ahead of ourselves, you need to understand that there is a huge range and variety of styles when it comes to Riesling. Riesling is the perfect wine to bring to a Holiday dinner party, as Riesling pairs virtually with everything.

Types of riesling wine