We’ve fought tooth and nail over this grape variety before. Whether it’s your cup of tea or not, Riesling comes in many different guises depending on where in the world it is grown.

The Germans are perhaps regarded as the original and best by critics, producing serious wine drinkers wines that get even more serious with age. Alsace provides another Old World haven, with chalky-clay soils and a slightly different winemaking approach, many of the wines tend to be drier and weightier on the palate with higher alcohol. Oh, and let’s not forget Austria. The home of the supreme Grüner Veltliner. Again, well rounded, drier and higher in alcohol.

In the New World, there are the citrus fruit bombs of Australia. Crisp and steely with a lean acidic backbone, head to Clare and Eden Valley for some of the best examples. Then there is New Zealand, and specifically Waipara, north of Christchurch, which might just take the crown for Riesling capital of the New World. It’s cool enough to retain vibrant acidity yet warm enough to ripen the grapes fully so they display wide ranging aromas and flavours from lemon and lime to mandarin, and on occasion stone fruit and honey notes from botrytis influence. Those elusive chalky mineral characters make for a great finale.

What’s my Riesling capital of the world? I’ve had some great experiences with Riesling from all over the world. It was probably a dry Austrian Riesling, the Wohlmuth, which initiated my interest. Since then I’ve enjoyed a number of very memorable wines from Germany, France and Australia, but for me at this time, it would be hard to beat Muddy Water’s James Hardwick Riesling – and yes, it’s from Waipara. Gotta love it.

So what’s your Riesling capital of the world?

The above picture is of Riesling grapes harvested in the Czech Republic…. Oops, forgot that country.

There are some very angry people in Germany right now. If the powers that be decided to build a monstrous bridge and a four lane motorway through your beloved countryside you’d be right and narked too.

The Hochmoseluebergang motorway bridge will be 160 metres high, 29 metres wide and 1.7 km long. It will cut through the heart of Germany’s most important Riesling producing region – Mosel Valley.

“The skyline of the bridge will be higher than the mountains,” complained Ernst Loosen, one of the Valley’s top Riesling producers.

“We’re very worried about tourism, because people come here for the beauty and not to look at such an ugly construction.” As well as being an eye sore, Loosen is also concerned about the affect of the natural water supply from the forest above the vineyards.

There is also support for the bridge which is set to reduce journey time between Germany and the Benelux countries, easing the flow of traffic and making for a more efficient east-west connection. Mind you, everybody seems to agree that the beautiful Valley is about to get a little less beautiful and I would imagine that it is the owners of the vineyards that are having to be dug up who are finding it most difficult at this time.

So is the supply of that typical Mosel blend of steely acidity, intense cool aromas and subtle citrus fruit flavours about to treacle to a halt? I somehow doubt it, and despite the outrage, with a bridge like that they’re bound to get over it

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.

This Bird Label Riesling comes from the Lingenfelder Estate, which is a family-operated winery with 13 generations of wine-growing experience in the sunny Pfalz region in Germany.

To view product page and for more details, click on Lingenfelder Riesling.

It’s first time Muddy Water have produced a true dessert wine. The closest before this was the highly acclaimed James Hardwick, which is a beautifully balanced medium Riesling.

The Sugar Daddy Riesling is huge wine from the Estate vineyard, which is part of the Organic program. In 2008 they only made the Dry and Sugar Daddy Rieslings from this vineyard (different vineyard blocks are at different stages of this organic process).

Some autumn rains showed themselves in particular blocks in the Riesling vineyard and that created the right conditions. It’s very concentrated at 50 Brix – the highest they’ve ever had by nearly 20 Brix – that’s 50% sugar, which may never happen again!

It’s always a trade-off producing a sticky. They’re expensive, with minuscule juice extracted from the shrivelly grapes, but winemaker and viticulturist Belinda Gould and Miranda Brown knew it would be a special vintage. The winery has not put it out for export anywhere else up to now. It’s selling like hotcakes at cellar door as something unique so they’ve no need to push it into export markets. Just as well a few arms have been twisted. Afterall, this is something that will enhance the already brilliant brand internationally.

Only 100 cases were produced. They’re not making one in this year’s 09 vintage and who knows in 2010. So for now, when I say rare, it’s not marketing puffery!

Quite simply a divine wine – you won’t find one as rare as this from New Zealand in Ireland. Brightly golden with decadently sweet flavours and a thick, viscous, honeyed texture. Full of intense raisins, plumped up dried apricots, luscious sweetness masterly crafted with beautifully fresh acidity and verve. It’s a fully botrytised wine, carrying just 7% alcohol and a whopping 300gm/L which puts it in a very rare bracket (the average dessert wine sits around 150gm/L).

It’s the first fully botrytised dessert wine that Muddy Water has made, which will only happen in certain years. It spent 9 months in the finest French oak where the fermentation was stopped when the desired sugars were reached. Powerful, delicious and with a finish that lasts forever.

Right now there are only 5 cases of it Ireland. If you want a memorable treat, look no further.

Pinot Noir is a fussy grape. It needs the right conditions and the appropriate care in the vineyard to really flourish, and when it does, you may not come across a better red wine. The world’s top wine critics view Riesling as the best white grape. The black skinned Pinot Noir is considered the best red wine grape.

Like Riesling, Pinot Noir has an incredible knack for taking on the flavours of the land in which it was grown. “Terroir” would be the term used by wine buffs. It’s a French word, best translated as ‘a sense of place’.

For wine drinkers that don’t take wine talk too seriously, Pinot Noir is generally very easy drinking, light, fruity and most are to be drank young, although some premium versions have great ageing potential (like those from Burgundy). Due to the fact that it is not the easiest grape to grow, low supply equates to a slightly higher price in comparison to the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon.

It’s thin skins result in wines that are light in colour with low to medium levels of tannin. Regions that are too hot produce wines that can be a little ‘jammy’, and in those that are too cool, the grapes may not fully ripen. When the balance is struck, Pinot Noir will display red fruits (strawberry, cherry and raspberry), with vegetal and animal nuances (wet leaves, mushrooms, gamey-meaty aromas).

For French Pinot Noir, the classic region is Burgundy (Bourgogne), where some of the best reds in the world can be found. Look out for the individual villages: Gevry-Chambertain AC, Nuit-Saint-Georges AC, Beaune AC and Pommard AC. New Zealand is also producing world-class Pinot, which tends to be fuller in body with lower acidity and more intense fruit flavours. Other countries to note for good Pinot Noir include Australia, USA (California & Oregan) and Chile. Romania is known for some exceptional inexpensive Pinot.

In our humble opinion (and that of our loyal customers), the best Pinot Noir available in Ireland for under €10 is the V Pinot Noir. For other tasty options, check out Fonty’s Pool from Western Australia, Bilancia, from New Zealand’s North Island, and our Organic Domaine du Chateau d’Eau Pinot Noir from the Languedoc. For something special from Burgundy, our Beaune-Greves will drink well until 2025.

Eden Valley and Clare Valley are accredited with producing Australia’s finest Riesling. These are generally dry, medium-bodied, with high acidity and pronounced citrus fruit notes (lime, lemon). As good Rieslings do, they will age well, developing notes of honey and toast. Some may develop smoky aromas, not unlike petrol, but don’t let that put you off.

Although it makes great reds too, Clare Valley’s cool nights help give this area its reputable name, with fantastic growing conditions. Very minerally, again, sometimes with a note of lime, these wines are typically bone dry in youth, developing great toasty notes with age. These are wines designed for food, particularly in their youth as they may seem a little intense at first (again, generally speaking).

Eden Valley is the one that got me taking Australian Riesling to heart.  Situated in the hills on the eastern flank of Barossa Valley (Clare and Eden are the two valleys that make up the official Barossa region), it is not so far from Clare, but its Rieslings are quite different. More floral, juicy and less austere in youth, they also take on a toastiness with bottle age.

So here’s another few regions that’s got to be added to the “must try” list of those avid Riesling fans. I think the most accessible Rieslings are those of the New World. Starting with New Zealand, you should move to Eden & Clare Valley before conquering Alsace and Germany. But then, who ever listens to me anyway?

From our own range, Cascabel produces a world-class Riesling from Eden Valley, achieving 5 stars from renowned wine critic James Halliday.

Riesling has long been the basis for the finest wine in Germany. The steep slopes along the Rhine and Mosel rivers retain warmth and incubate grapes to full ripeness in the otherwise chilly climate.

An aromatic white grape variety, Riesling is not unlike Sauvignon Blanc in that it is fruity and floral, as opposed to vegetal. When the fruit is harvested ripe in the cool climate of Germany, the wines have green fruit flavours (green apple, grape) with floral notes and sometimes a hint of citrus fruit (lemon, lime). If you enjoy light, refreshing whites that have a relatively low level of alcohol, then keep reading.

Sugars build up slowly in this variety and it retains its acidity well. Although some may associate Riesling with sweet wines, they can be as bone dry as you like. Many of the branded German wines in the supermarkets are overly sweet, but a lot of these are Liebraumilch (a blend of grapes) rather than Riesling. True German Riesling is often made in a drier style – and the sweet ones are usually balanced by high acidity, making for a pleasant and refreshing wine, rather than one that is overly sweet.

When you are exploring German wine, look carefully at the label. This will help you find the style and quality of wine you want. Like other European countries, Germany has a government regulated wine rating system. The levels include Qualitatswein bestimmte Anbaugebiete (QbA), which is a medium quality wine, and Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP), which is the highest level of quality. ‘Trocken’ means dry and ‘halbtrocken’ means half-dry. These should be noted on the label.

Our German range includes some cracking Rieslings (and a slightly rare but very special red!), and here are our top picks from other world class producers of this noble grape variety, all representing very different styles – Alsace (France), Australia and New Zealand.

For further reading, check out Curious Mike’s blog post on the ugly duckling of wine.

Anyone reading my contributions to the Curious Wines and LookandTaste blogs in the last month or so will have noticed a slight bias towards a certain grape variety when it comes to food matching. So what’s the story with the world’s most mispronounced grape (it’s Reece-ling by the way!)? Is this a one-man crusade for a personal wine fetish, or is there something the mass market is missing, as in market share terms Riesling remains highly unfashionable.

The truth of the matter is that, despite being consistently hailed as the finest of all white grapes by the likes of Jancis Robinson, Riesling is regarded suspiciously by the wine-drinking mainstream. Part of the reason for this is the association with Germany, and the poor quality exports in the 80s that the German wine industry is still recovering from. Another is the simple truth that Riesling has never found favour with either the supermarkets or the big wine brands, critical segments in terms of pushing volume and developing consumer tastes.

So what exactly are the Chardonnay-slaves missing? Here’s my top five reasons that, if you haven’t already, you really have to start drinking Riesling.

1. Nobility. ‘Noble’ is the term used to describe grapes that are capable of producing great wines on their own, and in different regions around the world. Riesling’s claim for greatness is supported by the unique ageing capacity of its wines, with the best capable of ageing for decades in the bottle.

2. Terroir. Yes, that vague French term that can mean little more than ‘sense of place’, Riesling has an inimitable ability to transmit characteristics of the very vineyard where it is grown, whilst retaining its own identity and style.

3. Acidity. Riesling has a natural acidity – very different from the harsh acid added to lesser wines to balance sugar content – that makes it perfect for drinking with food. This inherent quality means that Rieslings, whether dry or sweet, will retain their crispness and elegance of flavour.

4. Diversity. Riesling produces outstanding wines right along the dry-sweet continuum, from bone-dry fine wine to lusciously sweet Ice Wine, meaning you could wine-match a starter, main-course and a rich, sweet dessert with a different Riesling for each.

5. Alcohol. Riesling is naturally a low alcohol-producing grape, with the highest alcohol levels reflecting total dryness where all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. This makes it extremely attractive when it comes to balancing a healthy lifestyle with a love for wine, as there are correspondingly less units per glass or bottle.

Back to the Blossom Creeks, as a final, happy note on Riesling’s greatness, it is highly unlikely it will ever dominate the supermarket shelves in the way that Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have in the last 20 years. The Riesling grape ripens quickly, hence the reason you see Rieslings from top quality but cooler wine-producing regions such as the Mosel in Germany, Alsace in France and New Zealand, and why you’ll never see it in the volume-producing areas of southern France, Italy or southern California. For this reason, quality should withstand the demand-pressures for volume, however popular or fashionable it may become.

So get out there and explore the greatest white wine of them all, as it’s not going to present itself in a glass to you. You can start here.

This salmon dish is about as healthy as it gets as it is steamed along with the vegetables and served with a super simple soy dipping sauce.

This is the sort of dish you would eat if you were on a healthy diet which got me to wondering if there was such a thing as a healthy wine, or at least a wine that was more healthy than another? Perhaps not and it could be wishful thinking on my part but I am pretty sure that there would at least be a “lighter” wine of some sort that will compliment the delicate and simple natural flavours of the salmon.

As I am no expert on wines I’ll hand it over to the lads to match something nice up…..

Mike’s wine match:

‘Light’ could mean one of a number of things in wine terms, but mostly relate to body and/or alcohol. In relation to body, whites are obviously generally lighter than reds, although there are some lovely light-bodied reds that go very well with fish, such as Beaujolais.

I think I’d stick with white on this one, (a) because we’re specifically looking for a ‘light’ wine, and (b) because the saltiness of the soy dipping sauce is more easily complemented.

So, two delicious but quite different options:

1. Dr Wagner Saar Riesling – medium-dry and deliciously fruity, with that trademark stony minerality of quality Mosel Riesling, and at only 9% alcohol light in every sense (so, healthier in per glass terms, or you can drink more of it for the same number of units of a higher alcohol wine!).
2. Lugana Tenuta Maiolo DOC – higher in alcohol (12.5%) but still a light wine. What makes the Lugana a particularly great match for this dish is the very slight salty, sappy flavour from the calcareous clay used to grow the Trebbiano grapes – perfect with the salty soy and salmon.

Enjoy!

Niall Harbison is Co-Founder and Master Chef at Look and Taste.