When in doubt, open a good bottle of Mosel Riesling; Sage table-advice for pleasing a holiday crowd. The reasons are simple. No other white grape has Riesling’s versatility, and no other region has the soil and climate to craft Riesling like the Mosel. While some folks may hear the word Riesling and think cheap & sweet (a reputation built by an influx of mediocre wines in the ’60s and ’70s), not all Rieslings are sweet. Riesling can vary in sweetness levels from bone dry to dessert sweet and everything in between. The sweetness of a wine depends on the winemaker, not the grape. Plus, Riesling can makes still wines or bubbles making it very versatile for the table.
Although climates vary, the vineyards of Germany represent some of Europe’s northernmost land under vine. Germany’s cool climate means the grapes need more time on the vine to fully ripen. Longer “hangtime” develops more grape sugar and flavor in the berry. It is then up to the winemaker to either ferment all the grape sugar creating a dry wine or stop the fermentation early to leave behind some grape sugar giving the wine a bit of sweetness. Cool climate also means higher acidity in the wine and, since sugar takes the edge off acidity (think sprinkling sugar on grapefruit in the morning), leaving a bit of grape sugar behind in the vat can balance out the higher acid making the wine more palatable. If conditions are just right, the grapes can hang on the vine for an extended time resulting in sugar-filled fruit bombs. These late-harvest grapes make beautiful dessert wines that are highly sought after.
To determine how sweet a German Riesling might be, check out the label. While German wines rarely have sweetness scales on the label, terms such as trocken (dry), feinherb (off-dry), or halbtrocken (half dry) are an indication of sweetness levels. For some wines, ripeness terms such as Kabinett, Spatlese, and Auslese will indicate how ripe the grapes were at the time of harvest but again it is the winemaker’s choice to vinify the wine dry or leave a bit of sweetness. In general, a Kabinett wine will have little to no sweetness and Auslese tends to indicate a wine that is medium sweet. The amount of alcohol listed on the label can also be a clue to the sweetness level of the wine. Wines with <11% alcohol have a greater chance of being sweet than wines with modest alcohol.
Riesling pairs well with most foods because it is high in acid and cleanses the palate in between bites. Dubbed the sommelier’s friend, Riesling is universal wine that can stand up to most holiday dishes from sweet to savory. It may not be the perfect pairing with every dish, but it will not disappoint making it great for a crowd. Here are a few of my favorite producers:
