Why is Riesling Wine Sweet in the States

As Neil and I continue to travel, our tastes in wine have begun to evolve as well.  I think during our long stay in Argentina, we managed to red wine ourselves to capacity, especially after after visiting Mendoza wine country.  We haven’t touched darker varietals of wine in some time.  When we made our way through Belgium, we had trappist beers and when we first arrived in Germany, we enjoyed some great liters of the heavy brew there.  On a short stint in Karlsruhe, staying with the video maker Lord Ax Hooper, we took a short day trip out to Wine Street, seeing castles and exploring the countryside.  We walked up the path where King Richard the Lionheart was paraded as a prisoner after the Third Crusade.  We even ate lunch at a great outdoor grill.  There was lots to be “wowed” over but a simple thing happened.  We stopped at a small winery named Altes Schloesschen in St. Martin and I had my first glass of dry Riesling.

Dry Riesling? I’ll take two!

Riesling isn’t just a sweet summer wine

I was surprised how much I liked dry Riesling.  Chilled and served in thin glass flutes, the white wine which usually reminds me of summer, tasted crisp and multi-dimensional.  I could taste green apples and oak.  But nothing of the dessert-like finish in most Rieslings that are sold in the US.  We liked it so much we bought a bottle from the local winery on German Wine Street.  The owners have ties to Napa Valley, in California where the husband had completed an apprenticeship in the early stages of his career.

A great couple who’ve made wine their life and livelihood

Lunch at the Grille Haute

The Grill Hut was a 15 minute drive off Wine Street with a large outdoor seating area and views over a lake below.  The proprietor is a huge Red Devil fan.  So if you come here, ask to see his intense tattoos.  Being that it was a day of wine tasting, we had a “shorle” which is a white wine spritzer of Riesling and carbonated water.  Very refreshing. 

Off to lunch!

Neil had a meat-lover’s plate which included a local dish of stuffed tripe with potatoes and I tucked into a pickled fish with potatoes.  The sun was shining.  The wine was cold.  And the tourist hordes were far, far away.  Perfect!

Butter bean salad, pickled fish with a warm german potato salad!

Meat lovers delight