Wset Intermediate Chapter 9: Riesling.

Front 1

Flavors of Riesling?

Back 1

Riesling is an aromatic white grape variety. It is fruity and floral rather than vegetal like Sauvignon Blanc.

Front 2

Cool climates and Riesling?

Back 2

In cool climates, if the fruit is harvested when ripe (rather than over-ripe) the wines have green fruit flavors (greeen apple, grape) with floral notes and sometimes a hint of citrus fruit (lemon, lime).

Front 3

Moderate climates and Riesling?

Back 3

The citrus and stone fruit notes become dominant and some wines can smell very strongly of fresh lime or white peach

Front 4

Late Harvesting of Riesling?

Back 4

Because sugars build up slowly in this variety, and it retains its acidity well, Riesling is suitable for late-harvesting in regions where there are stable, dry, sunny autumn conditions.

Front 5

Flavors with Late harvest of Riesling?

Back 5

Stone fruit and tropical fruit notes can develop (peach, apricot, pineapple, mango). These late-harvests can be dry, medium or sweet in style.

Front 6

Noble rot and Riesling?

Back 6

Riesling is very susceptible to noble rot, which concentrates sugars and acidity and makes this grape ideal for lusciously sweet wines.

Front 7

Ageing?

Back 7

--High acidity levels and intense fruit help many Riesling wines to age in the bottle, where they develop flavors of honey and toast. Smoky petrol-like aromoas sometimes appear in old Riesling wines.

Front 8

Type of oak?

Back 8

--New oak is almost never used

Front 9

Premium Rieslings?

Back 9

--Germany is the home of Riseling. Wines are made in a range of styles.

Front 10

Styles of german Rieslings? 7 types

Back 10

1) QbA (qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete).
2) Kabinett
3) Spaetlese
4) Auslese
5,6 ) Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese
7) Eiswein

Front 11

what is the most basic Riesling classified?

Back 11

--Basic Riesling as QbA (Qualitatswine bestimmter Anbaugebiete.
--these are usually fruity and refreshing, with medium sweetness.

Front 12

What are higher levels of Riesling classification?

Back 12

--Above these come the Praedikatswein. These vary in style according to their particular Pradikat

Front 13

Types of Pradikatweine?

Back 13

Kabinett Rieslings are light in body, with high acidity and green fruit notes (apple, grape). They usually have medium sweetness and light alcohol though they can be dry with medium alcohol.

Front 14

Spaetlese?

Back 14

Compared to Kabinett wines, Spaetlese (late harvest) Rieslings have a bit more body and citrus and exotic fruit notes (lemon, pineapple).

Front 15

Auslese?

Back 15

These Rieslings have even more body and exotic fruit notes (pineapple, mango). This is the highest category to appear as a dry wine, though most Riesling Auslese wines are medium or sweet.

Front 16

Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese?

Back 16

These riselings are sweet wines made from noble rot affected grapes.

Front 17

Eiswein?

Back 17

Is a sweet wine made from frozen grapes.

Front 18

Rieslings in Mosel?

Back 18

Germany’s lightest-bodied Rieslings from here. The Kabinett and Spaetlese wines are almost always made with medium sweetness balanced by high acidity.

Front 19

Most prestigious Mosel Rieslings?

Back 19

The most prestigious vineyards are on very steep slops surrounding the villages of Piesport and Bernkastel.

Front 20

Rheingau Rieslings?

Back 20

This is a smaller region. Its Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese Riesling wines are usually drier in style and medium-bodied.

Front 21

Pfalz Rieslings? Special towns?

Back 21

--is a large southerly region that lies close to Alsace.
--The Rieslings wines around Forst and Deidesheim are generally dry and mediumb-bodied

Front 22

Other Premium Rieslings? (first of list)

Back 22

--the long, dry, warm autumns in Alsace provide ideal conditions for dry, medium-bodied Rieslings with green, citrus and stone fruit notes.
--Fuller-bodied, late harvest wines are also made there, with more intense flavors and sometimes a hint of sweetness.

Front 23

Alsace soils and Rieslings?

Back 23

--very complicated geology, with wide range of soil types. The characteristics of Riesling wines can differe markedly from one site to another, even when the same winemaking techniques are used.
--Best ones benefit greatly from bottle age, and can last for decades, developing a smoky, honeyed complexity, often with petrol-like aromas.

Front 24

Austrian Rieslings?

Back 24

--also produces medium and full-bodied dry Rieslings with citrus and stone fruit flavors and medium or high acidity. Wines from certain vineyards can have smoky, mineral aromas.

Front 25

Australian Rieslings?

Back 25

--produces outstanding Rieslings, particularly in the Clare Valley and Eden Valley Regions. These are dry, medium-bodied, with high acidity and pronounced citrus fruit notes (lime, lemon).
--wines age well, developing notes of honey and toast. Some wines rapidly develop smoky aromas that are similar to petrol.

Front 26

New Zealand Rieslings?

Back 26

--produces some very good quality Rieslings.
--made mainly in the South Island; these are dry with high acidity and intense green fruit and citrus flavors (apple, grape, likme). Most are best consumed young, but some develop attractive honey flavors with age.

Front 27

Bulk production Rieslings?

Back 27

--Many of the Riesling vines in the bulk production regions in Germany have been replaced with other, higher-yielding varieties that are used in inexpensive Liebfraumilch-style blends. In Germany and elsewhere, there is little large volume production, though inexpensive branded fruity-dry German Rieslings are becoming increasingly important.

Front 28

Australian labeling of bulk Rieslings?

Back 28

Some Australian brands include South Eastern Australia Riesling in their portfolio. Much of the fruit is sourced from premium areas as Eden or Clare Valleys rather than hot bulk-production regions further inland.

Front 29

Riesling in blends?

Back 29

--for premium quality, Riesling is almost never blended. Little is used in large volume wines as Liebfraumilch.
--In Ausgtralia sometimes with aromatic Gewuztraminer to make fruity, quaffable, off-dry whites.

Front 30

Similar names? (unrelated related)

Back 30

--Welschriesling/Laski Rizling/Olasrizling; central and eastern Europe variety for crisp, light bodied dry whites and a few luscious sweet wines.