Riesling is considered by many to be the classic white wine grape. This grape has been cultivated in Germany since the 1400s or earlier. Riesling vines are particularly hard-wooded and tolerant of cold weather and they bud late, so they are well-suited to the coldest wine-growing climates.
High quality German Rieslings come from the Mosel River region, where the wines have low alcohol and powerful aromas. This grape also is very successful in Alsace. High quality Rieslings are also being produced in Washington State and Idaho. Riesling has a powerful and distinctive floral and apple-like aroma that frequently mixes in mineral elements from its own vineyard source and is sometimes described as racy. Its high natural level of tartaric acid enables it to balance even high levels of residual sugar, resulting in a crisp and memorable wine.
Riesling has been very successful in our test plot. We will have our second harvest this fall (2010). Last year, the Riesling achieved 21.5 brix (Oechsle of 89.6) at harvest.
Clones: FPS 09, Gm 198 & 239