Poor old Riesling. It's a noble grape and the genesis of some of the finest and most complex wines in the world. It is also incredibly versatile. Riesling is used to make everything from sparkling wine to searingly dry still wines to some of the most luscious dessert wines you can imagine — and it goes great with food too. But Riesling only gets a "week."

I think it deserves a month! July is National Baked Beans Month, National Pickle Month, National Tickling Month and National Hat Month, among others. October is National Toilet Tank Repair Month. Riesling gets just a week and even that has to be sponsored by out-of-towners. But, since that week is upon us, let us celebrate the grape that is Riesling!

The European Union and Wines of Germany have designated July 26 - August 1 as "Riesling Week" here in the United States. All week, restaurants, wine bars and bottle shops will be running special promotions for Rieslings from Germany, Austria and Alsace. Whether you're interested in a Riesling-themed dinner, a focused tasting with winemakers or just want to explore the variety though expanded "by the glass" menus at your favorite restaurants, now is your chance.

There is no denying that Germany and its neighbors Austria and Alsace (France) are the most famous and most successful regions for Riesling production. They've been at it for hundreds of years and, in some areas, have approached Riesling with single-minded devotion. If you want to understand the essence of Riesling, it's these European wines that you want to seek out.

However, the New World makes some pretty nice Riesling too. Even Northern California produces praise-worthy versions.
Scott Harvey makes dry to off-dry Riesling ($22) from very old vines for his "Jana" label. Planted in a vineyard on Rutherford benchland in 1969, it's one of only three old-vine Riesling vineyards left in Napa Valley, according to Harvey. Jana also sells a Michigan Riesling ($28) and a Mendocino County Riesling ($22). Scott Harvey studied winemaking in Germany, so he knows a thing or two about Riesling too. If you want to learn more about the wine from him, check out this 3 minute video:

Another good choice is the White Riesling ($21) from Stony Hill Vineyard. This wine is made from 10 acres of vines, some as much as 60 years old, planted in the hills just west of St. Helena. The Stony Hill style also tends to be off-dry. The wine is very good when young but I've also tasted 20+ year old versions and found them to have aged well. The current (2008) vintage is sold out. The 2009 should be released around September.

There are other Napa Valley Rieslings you may enjoy:
Smith-Madrone Winery dry farms its Riesling vines on Spring Mountain. Their version of the wine is typically dry and the vines are nearly 40 years old. Their website features an interesting FAQ offering their thoughts on Riesling. [Their 2008 is also sold out, 2009 is available for pre-order, $27).

Trefethen Family Vineyards makes a Dry Riesling ($22) from their estate Main Ranch Vineyard in Napa Valley's Oak Knoll District. The 2008 vintage won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Hagafen Cellars makes three different Riesling varietal wines. Two are Napa Valley and one is from Lake County. Their Riesling ranges from lightly sweet (2.6% residual sugar for the Lake County wine) to sweet (9% residual sugar for the Prix Vineyards Late Harvest wine). Hagafen Cellars' wines are all kosher and the Rieslings can be a good accompaniment for some of the foods traditionally served during Passover.

In the southeast corner of the Oak Knoll District, Palmaz Vineyards grows Riesling too. As with most Riesling from the area, the sweetness of the Palmaz varies from year to year. The ones I've tasted in the past, and enjoyed, have been just off-dry. They were refreshing on a hot day and went well with the little hors d'oeuvres Palmaz served at the beginning of their winery tours. The current release is dry ($45). I look forward to trying it.

Napa Valley isn't the only place to find good Riesling in California.
Wente Vineyards makes two different versions. Their Wente Riverbank Riesling ($11.95) is a semi-sweet wine (2.45% RS) made from grapes grown in the Arroyo Seco AVA in southern Monterey County. Winemaker Karl Wente blends in some Gewurtztraminer (17% for the 2008 vintage) which adds more complexity to the nose and some weight to the body. That makes it even more different from conventional German Rieslings than most of the wines I've mentioned so far. However, it's very tasty and I've enjoyed it at their restaurant as an appertif, with very lightly fried starters and with a mild cheese course.

More traditional is the Wente Small Lot Late Harvest Riesling ($24.95). Also from Arroyo Seco, this wine is 100% Riesling. It's definitely sweet at 10% RS. It's a good choice for a liquid dessert or with moderately strong cheeses.the

Esterlina Vineyards makes three Rieslings: Dry, off-dry and Late Harvest ($19, $19, & $28). All come from the Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino County. Cole Ranch is the smallest area with official AVA status in the United States. The AVA is really just a single 189-acre vineyard, Cole Ranch. It is high, cold and rainier than relatively nearby areas. As a result, the grapes take longer to ripening which allows complex flavors to build and acidity to be maintained.

Australian Rieslings are also well worth trying. They range from bone dry to slightly Botrytised and sweet. There are several, very different, growing areas for Riesling there and the flavor profiles vary accordingly. In the dryest versions from Margaret River in Western Australia and both Clare Valley and Eden Valley in South Australia,  lime, lemon and minerality are hallmarks. Many of the wines will age beautifully for more than a decade, taking on rounder more honeyed flavors. Producers of classic Australian Riesling include Leeuwin Estate, Peter Lehmann, Penfolds, Henschke, and Grosset.

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This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2010 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved. Scott Harvey video by BigJuJuProductions.

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