Riesling Week - Dry Riesling

There is a general perception that all Riesling is medium or sweet. And furthermore that because it is medium or sweet that somehow this denotes it is lesser quality, or that we somehow shouldn't like it!

I love medium and sweet Riesling because they have some fantastic flavours and acidity running through them and complexity of flavours that comes out as you drink them.

But, this blog is not about them. This blog is about dry Rieslings. Yes, they do exist, and they are well worth considering. As with the sweeter styles they are diverse and have a range of flavours depending on where they come from and how they're produced. Although Riesling Week is first and foremost about German Riesling, I will be a bit of a maverick here and put the cat amoung the pigeons as it should also be said that there are some excellent Rieslings from other countries, and they too are well worth trying. And since it is Riesling Week, this week is certainly the week to try them!

Australia, for one, is now making some fantastic dry Rieslings. One of the most famous is Jeffrey Grosset Polish Hills Riesling which now has somewhat of a cult following. Premium wine of outstanding quality.

The other as we have spoken about in other blogs and elsewhere is the dry 'Wonderland of the Eden Valley' Riesling from Dandelion Vineyards.

However, Germany too is making some fantastic dry Rieslings. The great thing with a dry Riesling is it matches a wide range of foods from fish dishes to Asian cuisine. It holds up to spices very well indeed and can have the complexity and depth of fruit to stand up to rich meat dishes as well.

So, my recommendation for today to pair with your dry Riesling is a spicy chicken dish from that bastion of British cooking, Delia Smith:

Delia's Spiced Chicken - an old recipe but one that works well and is easy and quick to make.

The wines we would recommend considering matching with this dish are:

Riesling Dry 2009, Villa Wolf -

Has a lovely full and rich style with pure stone-fruit flavours that are characteristic of the weathered sandstone soils of the Pfalz region.

or the Aussie offering;

Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling 2010, Dandelion Vineyards -

Steven Spurrier's recommendation, Decanter Magazine June 2011
Low in alcohol, high in natural acidity & bone dry, it is fresh & bright with intense smells of lime skin, citrus blossom, green apple, ripe guava & cinnamon spice. On the palate, there is crisp lime sorbet, stone fruit including apricot & classic mandarin, developing into rich lemon meringue. Wonderful racy minerality. Long length.