Riesling Renaisannce
by Courtney Cochran

Domestic Rieslings have never been better or more widely available, and they’re perfectly suited for summer. Read on for the goods on pairings, profiles and places where these refreshing charmers are thriving.

Finger Lakes: German Connection

Riesling’s ancestral home is Germany, where mineral–rich soils, steep vineyard slopes and a crisp continental climate (okay, it’s downright cold!) create an ideal environment for growing the grape. Similarly, upper New York State’s Finger Lakes region — which fans out, natch, around four long and narrow deep–water lakes — makes a superb growing region for this cold–loving vinifera variety. Planted on steep slopes above the lakes, Riesling grown in the Finger Lakes region develops the delicious combination of palate–brightening acidity, light body and beautifully perfumed aromas (think exotic flowers, mineral, apple–pear, apricot–peach and hints of tropical fruit) that make the grape a home run on a hot day.

Unoaked and often vinified nearly dry (so jettison those ideas that all Riesling is too sweet!), Riesling from this region is a perfect match for the likes of seafood of all types, sushi, Asian cuisine and spicy foods, whose heat is tempered by Riesling’s bright acidity.

Mendocino: Alsace Affinity

As the Finger Lakes compare to Germany, so California’s northerly Mendocino finds an echo in eastern France’s Alsace. There, warmer weather than that in nearby Germany lends the wines richer body and bolder aromas than those found in the featherlight offerings from its neighbor (and, it follows, those produced in upper New York state). Thus, Riesling that hails from Mendocino’s warm, east–west–oriented Anderson Valley takes on a more robust Riesling character, pairing up the same beguiling aromas and flavors the grape produces wherever its grown with weight and length suitable to hearty fare like light meats (think quail, chicken), cheeses and Indian curries.

You might call these wines the yang to lighter Riesling’s yin; to test drive the comparison yourself, pick up examples from both regions and taste away!

Washington State: Singular Character

With its northerly climate (read: cool!), extra–long days (more sunshine) and growing season that extends well into autumn, Washington State manages to marry the style of cool–climate European winemaking with the bold character of warm weather–driven New World wines. A happy combination, you might call it the best of both worlds. The results are Rieslings that marry brisk acidity and charming minerality with palate–pleasing weight and stellar length. In a word, they’re wines of their own character entirely, and they make outstanding companions both as summer sippers fit for porch sipping and wines that can be enjoyed alongside a variety of foods at the table.

For a tasty salty–sweet pairing, try a bottle of Washington State Riesling (many hail from the large Columbia Valley) with fish and chips. You’ll find that the wine’s crisp acidity cuts ably through the dish’s fat, while its hint of sweetness answers the salt like a song.

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Courtney Cochran is a Millennial generation sommelier and author of "Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine" (Viking Studio), for which she won the 2007 Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year award. In addition to contributing to WineAnswers.com, Courtney writes a wine column for WineCountry.com and has written about wine for Maxim Magazine. San Francisco Magazine called Cochran's popular HIP TASTES events "Wine without the snob factor," and she has been profiled in Vogue, Business Week Online and C Magazine, which dubbed her "San Francisco's Most Wanted Wine Guru."