Newbies Drink Wine: Exploring and Tasting Riesling
"Newbies Drink Wine" is our new series where our team members with little to no wine experience gather weekly to taste various wines. This is a fun way to expand our wine knowledge, learn how to recognize different tasting notes, and get together as a team.
Weinrieder Riesling ‘Beerenauslese’
This wine has a lovely golden colour and smells like nuts, honey, and ripe pears. When we took a sip, we noticed the honey flavour, but there was also a hint of ripe pineapple. While this wine is a bit on the sweet side, it has a good amount of acidity to keep it tasting balanced.
Decoding wine labels:
- Weinrieder: Estate Name
- Riesling: Grape Variety
- Beerenauslese/BA: A term used for wines made from carefully selected grapes that have been affected by botrytis (a type of fungus). When grapes are affected by botrytis, they shrivel up, which concentrates the sugar, acidity, and flavor in the grapes.
We think this would go well with Foie Gras or serve as a great pre-dinner drink!
Louis Guntrum ‘Nierstein Bergkirche’ Riesling Kabinett
Right away, it had a unique smell of petrol, which is a classic characteristic of Rieslings. It was off-dry with a touch of minerality and a refreshing acidity when tasting it. We also detected citrus, melon, and a bit of green apple flavours. Try pairing this with sweet and sour fish or even a local dish that has a touch of spice to it!
Decoding wine labels:
- Louis Guntrum: Brand Name
- Nierstein Bergkirche: Name of the single vineyard
- Kabinett: Sweetness Level - This is the lightest style of Riesling, made from grapes with a specific sweetness level. Kabinett wines range in style from dry to off-dry.
- Riesling: Grape Varietal
