Sweet Love for Riesling

On a recent tasting, I was reminded of the sheer beauty of German Riesling. Its drier form is undeniably delightful, but once you open an old bottle of botrytised Riesling, there is simply no way back. To me, this is love at first sight, a moment of pure enchantment, and hopefully, it will be the same for you. There is something almost magical in the way Riesling evolves over time, revealing layers of complexity that few other wines can match.

Thanks to climate change, there has been an incredible push in quality recently in dry German Riesling. Traditionally, Germany has been a cool climate wine region, which made ripening quite challenging in some years. Now, with warmer summers, grapes reach full maturity more consistently, leading to exceptional vintages. 2018 and 2019 are both perfect examples of this transformation. This stability allows winemakers to achieve a remarkable balance between acidity, the hallmark of Riesling, and ripeness, creating wines that are both precise and expressive.

The public is also ready for such wines. White wine consumption is on the rise, particularly in regions where red has historically dominated. In southern countries, the climate change effect has led some vineyards to produce extremely heavy wines lacking the bright acidity that Riesling naturally provides. Another key factor for Riesling is its price. A decent bottle can be found for as little as 12 Euros, while a top wine from a single vineyard may reach 60 Euros. This accessibility makes enjoying world class wines without breaking the bank a genuine pleasure, a little paradise on earth for any wine lover.

Of course, readers will know that German Riesling used to be predominantly sweet. A recent article from BKWine illustrates the shift in production: in 1985, only 16 percent of German wines were dry, compared to around 50 percent today. If alcohol is often considered the number one enemy in modern wine culture, sugar is a close second. People are far more conscious of sugar intake than in the past, and sweet wines have slipped out of fashion. Yet it is worth remembering that a glass of Auslese contains roughly the same sugar as a Coca Cola, and also a glass of orange juice. You do not feel unhealthy with your morning juice, do you? Why then should you shy away from a carefully crafted sweet Riesling?

The first challenge with German sweet wines is their classification, a notoriously complex system. The top category, Prädikatswein, classifies wines by ripeness rather than terroir. Kabinett wines are light and crisp, with around 8 to 15 grams per liter of residual sugar. Spätlese is riper and fruitier, usually 20 to 40 grams per liter. Auslese is even richer, often 40 to 70 grams per liter, while Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are lusciously sweet, ranging from 100 to 150 grams per liter or more. Eiswein, made from grapes frozen on the vine, also reaches these high sugar levels but maintains a bright, refreshing acidity. Each step up generally means more sugar, but there are also dry versions of Kabinett and Auslese. A final note: acidity is crucial in sweet wines. A Spätlese can taste sweeter than an Auslese if it is not crafted properly. For those still reading, it is worth noting that some of the higher quality Prädikat wines feature a distinctive golden capsule, a subtle hint of excellence.

So why bother with it? These wines are out of trend and ludicrously complex to understand. Yet, on one of those rare days when you have a clear mind to appreciate the classification, and are presented with the right bottle, a huge smile is guaranteed, followed by a soft sigh of appreciation: you have found your Grail. I recently experienced this epiphany while tasting the 2001 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese from Robert Weil. At a noble 26 years, the wine displayed a perfect balance between precise acidity and a gently salty finish. The sugar, rather than overpowering, merely provides structure and harmony. Pair it with some aged hard cheese, and you are as close as one can get to wine Walhalla.

Sweet Rieslings may be going out of fashion, but that does not mean you should pass up the occasional glass. Their sugar content grants them near immortality, and they remain the perfect way to conclude a meal. A rare indulgence that feels almost ceremonial in a world that has largely forgotten such pleasures.