Is Riesling the ‘Marmite’ of white wine?
More From: Curious Facts & Fun
Posted April 12th, 2010 by Matt Kane
Is it fair to say Riesling is one of those wines you either love or hate? Remember, we’re talking about the noble variety that so many wine critics see as the best white grape with its ability to take on the character of the vineyard and deliver an astonishingly complex wine.
Everybody is entitled to an opinion, so we asked Cork wine drinker Grace Cunningham (@grayzie) why she simply doesn’t rate Riesling.
“Firstly, I must admit that I am almost exclusively a red wine drinker. My new years resolution is to push myself outside of my comfort zone and of late have endeavoured to try more white wine, including some Rieslings. Wine writers and critics regularly refer to Riesling as ‘the noble grape’ or the ‘world’s finest grape’. I fail to understand why this grape variety is deemed by some to be the epitome of white wine.
Riesling represents everything I dislike about wine. I find drinking it hard work, and obviously, this is not a quality I seek out in a wine. I find the acidity in the drier styles overpowering. In fact, the acid in some is so prevalent, it leaves a burning sensation in my throat, and I can taste little else. I don’t enjoy citrus fruits so it seems Riesling and I will never get along. The lemon characteristics are too prevalent for me. The minerality and flinty elements are also something that I just cannot enjoy. I understand that this is an expression of the terroir, but sometimes wish the grape would leave this after it in the soil.
I find the petrol aromas in older Rieslings nauseating and very off putting. If I want to experience petrol, I’ll go to my local garage! I also find the sweeter German Rieslings cloying and unpalatable. And seriously, who wants to drink a wine with an ABV of 8%. You may as well be drinking grape juice! And don’t get me started on the bottle shape…
Wine enthusiasts love Riesling and really want to share their passion. They want you to like Riesling and often offer; ‘Well, I’m sure if you tried something sweeter/drier/New World/Old World, you’d like it. I don’t. Accept it people. I just do not like Riesling in any guise!”
Opinions, anyone?
Special thanks to Grace Cunningham.
April 12th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Reminds me of a sparkling wine from an unnamed discount supermarket which both Kevin Ecock and I rated quite highly, but which was panned in this month’s Food & Wine magazine by punters.
They were obviously wrong and what the hell would they know. It’s the only logical conclusion
April 12th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Not everyone can like everything. I find myself diverging from the experts on the subject of sherry. I just don’t like the oxidised taste. If a normal wine tastes like sherry, we quite correctly send it back. So why pay for a wine that is supposed to taste faulty? I know I am in the minority here, but, as I said, you can’t like everything!
April 12th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I think I have just drawn the wrath of the internet on me!
April 12th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Hi Grace, I was defending your right to stand by your taste buds!
April 12th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Grace, I agree with you although I have to say I may not have taken the time to try a broad variety pod Rieslings. I just really dislike the sweet ones and did not realise there was such a range within the grape. If a Riesling lover would like to suggest a non-sweet version, I’ll happily give it s shot.
E
April 12th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Re: Enormous’ request:
Remember, people, that Curious Wines is the only supplier of dry Rieslings on the Irish market!
This one is good, Enormous -> http://bit.ly/djU9AG
April 12th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Great to see such lively debate, shows people care about what they drink!
Lar: I’m still watching with interest how the likes of the Tim Adams Riesling gets on on the supermarket shelves, as they’re usually the first barometers for the mass market. Good independents have long made provision for Riesling and been rewarded with happy customers and repeat sales – I’m delighted to confirm that’s been our experience.
Gabriel: Agree, all about personal preferences. But I do LOVE a good sherry!
Paul: Ohhhh! I’d start running. Now.
Enormous: Try a dry! Great indicator when it’s not explicit on the label is the alcohol level. Anything over about 12% (Grace will be delighted!) should be well on the dry-side as any residual sugar has been fermented. (Not guaranteed, but a good indicator!)
And thanks for the pointer to the Waipara Paul, it’s a great example, even if we do say so ourselves
Now, off for a marmite sandwich.
April 12th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Michael – Enormous and I will have to give that one a try, and have the spittoon nearby! (Only kidding) At least it’s over 12%. Wouldn’t want to be wasting my time with anything else.
Thanks for defending my rights Gabriel!!
April 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Well for what its worth, I am glad I am in Tipperary. Cork looks like its hotting up. I did have a very nice Riesling in the sunshine that came from Karwigs yesterday. I don’t import any myself so i look forward to trying Curious Rielsing on my nxt trip to Cork.
Grace – it took me an age to get into it, but i do love it now. Its like Bob Dylan – you have to get past the initial nauseau, but then you’ll love it.
April 12th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hi y’all,
‘Tis fairly lively in here, bosco.
I’ve brought a decent amount of Riesling into chez moi and the better half has poo-poo’d most of them, and I like to think she has exceptional taste in everything.
Despite Tim’s best efforts (and recently Jacob’s Creek Reseve Riesling), I still think Riesling is a minority sport, like rowing. If you get it, you’re hooked, but you’re still a little obsessive.
As for marmite, have to confess my loce for it, stoked by the fires of joblessness/jobhunting in Australia a few years back.
Lar
April 12th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
I really can’t see why Riesling would be the ‘noble grape’. To me it’s just a grape, and like any other, may or may not produce a pleasing wine. The taste of this so called noble grape is just as subjective as any other, and notions that a dislike of said ‘noble’ grape is in any way wrong or an invalid opinion are baffling.
I think the comparison with Marmite is an excellent one. I don’t believe anyone has ever tried to claim that Marmite has a blessed or divine heritage, and yet people seem to be allowed to either like or dislike it.
I don’t like Riesling & I’m ok with that.
April 13th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
So there you go. No matter how thinly you spread Marmite, some people will just not like it. End of.
Riesling is the perfect example of how subjective wine in general can be.
Is Pinotage just another Marmite? Probably.
April 13th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Riesling is the business. Easily my favourite white grape variety. By miles. Incredible variety of styles. You need to make sure you are getting it from great producers (and wonderful suppliers like the Curious boys and others who shall go nameless – they will see you right !)
Incredible wine. But thats just my opinion. And thats the point really. I love it. Other people dont. Thats whats great about wine. Variety and choice. Drink what you like but keep trying new wines, thats my moto.
Still think we should publically throw riesling grapes at @grayzie though. Hee hee hee
April 17th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Looks like I’m a bit late to the party on this one.
Although my personal preference leads me to Burgundy, I have to admit that I probably think that Riesling is the king of white wines. The sheer range of styles & flavours that can be achieved from this great grape is mind blowing. The great thing about riesling is its QPR. For a few reasons the grape is massively undervalued. You can pick up seriously world class efforts for under €30, which is very difficult to say about any other grape variety. I’ve had some truely mindblowingly amazing, etheral, pure, delicious Rieslings for a few cents over €20.
There probably is a bit of a barrier with Reisling (especially the German ones) in the same way as burgundy, in that you have to do a little bit of research to figure out what’s going on. I can imagine it is very easy to try a couple riesling, that aren’t made in a style you enjoy, and write off the entire varietal.
If you haven’t found one that you like yet, you just haven’t tried hard enough. Find some JJ Prum, Hermann Donnhoff, JJ Christoffel , Weingut Keller, Egon Muller, Willi Schaefer, Trimbach, Grosset, Zind Humbrecht etc….
I had 2 riesling last night (Mesh reislng from Eden Valley, Oz & Sipp Mack Rosacker Rieslng), one bone dry the other a little off dry. Both were totally different and neither was my preferred style of riesling but they were both delicious in their own rights.
Keep on drinking Grace, you’ll get there in the end.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:09 am
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