Riesling Week

23rd to 30th July 2011

Riesling: It’s the perfect match with food, great on its own and there is a style to suit every occasion, Riesling is the grape variety to be sampling this summer.

From this Saturday the trade body Wines of Germany is running Riesling Week. Keep an eye out for what restaurants etc. are doing in your area.

We here at Cooden Cellars love Riesling. There is some fantastic stuff out there and we have a great choice for you and over the coming week we'll be blogging on the choices and what foods they match.

Now that summer is here I would like to suggest you to try some German wines, and this week, go for a Riesling.  They really are fantastic on a long, hot summers afternoon and into the evening. The range of styles means there's a Riesling for every occasion. Producers like Dr Loosen, Leitz and Donnhoff are creating some stonking stuff!

The other big plus of German Riesling is their lighter alcohol levels. In a world of higher and higher alcohol levels these wines are very refreshing with many only around 8-10% alcohol.

So to start off the weekend, and talking personally, my absolute favourite quaffer Riesling is Dragonstone Riesling from Leitz. An absolute joy of a wine and its light alcohol makes it the perfect choice for summer enjoyment.

Full of pineapple, green apple and lemon with a mineral acidity. It has soft medium-sweet notes that envelop the mouthwatering acidity. This is a perfect match with Salmon Salad as its fruity acidity and medium sweetness match the subtle flavours of the salmon and the bitter, pepperyness of the salad beautifully.

Take a cooked cold salmon fillet and break it into small chunks. Take some rocket and watercress and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a little olive oil and lemon juice over. Add a little chopped red onion and add the salmon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Very simple, but very tasty indeed.

If you want to push the boat out a little, then an alternative Riesling to choose with this dish, and one that has complexity and at only 7.5%, light alcohol, is the utterly fantastic Urziger Wurzgarten Spatelese from Dr Loosen.

Pour out a chilled glass of Riesling and sit in a comfy chair and enjoy the wonderful flavours that will hit your palate as you eat the salad and drink the wine.

And, yes, I have these ingredients in my fridge as I type and will be doing this very recipe this weekend! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

*Edit:*

I added to the recipe above. I chucked a chopped beetroot in and also some feta cheese. The creaminess of the cheese and the fresh flavours of the beetroot matched the salmon brilliantly and the medium Riesling was just a stonkingly glorious match. The acidity cut through the creamy cheese and complimented that and the other flavours in the dish.

Can't recommend medium Riesling highly enough for this: either Dragonstone from Leitz or the estate Riesling from Dr. Loosen are fantastic.


Blog written by: John Martin