Riesling wines have varying degrees of sweetness – starting with dry, to off-dry, slightly sweeter, right through to the late-picked and finally the dessert botrytis rieslings. Within that scale, the tasting characteristics might be zippy, with notes of lemon and lime, rich flavours of peach, apricot and pineapple, or contain more complex flavours of toast, nuts and honey. It's also not uncommon to taste spice, slate and blossom.
Below, you'll find seven expressions of riesling each grown in different regions across the country. Serve these wines chilled, pair them with fresh seafood and enjoy with great company.
2022 Clarnette Grampians Riesling
A vibrant pale straw with tinges of green on the edges. A fragrant blend of apple blossom and lime with hints of vanilla! Upon tasting this racy young wine it speaks of riesling; limes and lemons with a structured palate and a hint of sweetness, barely perceptible. Probably my most complex riesling to date.Winemaker Leigh Clarnette says: I think riesling is such a universal wine due to its ability to make sweet and dry styles for every category of drinker. We all start sweet and grow up to the drier styles that deliver clarity and expression. I like it as a sparkling style too.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
LC. Last Tuesday night I drank the 2022 on a boatshed deck on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. Surrounded by a whole lot of mates, we were celebrating the end of year, with hand-caught smoked trout on crackers and beautiful large glasses. The 2022 had been in ice – what a wine! It was 22 degrees untill about 8pm and still as a mill pond with black swans chatting to us.
Alternatively, salmon tartare on your choice of crackers, and if you can find some – Coffin Bay oysters.
RRP $30 | Drink to 2028 | clarnettewines.com.au
2022 Crawford River Strata Riesling
This wine is always ready for drinking upon release – with expressive fruit, floral and mineral components. It shows delicate white stone fruit, citrus and red apple. This fruit is backed by white florals. Talc and chalk, always a hallmark of the site, integrate seamlessly. The palate starts with generous fruit, but quickly becomes fresh and brisk. It is streamlined throughout the palate with a clean refreshing finish.Winemaker Belinda Thomson says: Riesling is a credit to the site and environment of where it's grown...and the gentle touch of the winemaker of course!
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
BT. This wine is best enjoyed chilled (though not too cold). It’s about generosity of fruit and freshness. This wine is adaptable, it's very drinkable on its own, and excellent with seafood and white meats.
RRP $38 | Drink to 2028 | crawfordriverwines.com
2022 hughes&hughes Riesling
Fruit from vineyards in the North West, Derwent and Coal River Valleys, picked between 11.7 and 12.4 baume. Skin ferment makes up 10 per cent of the blend with the remainder soaked on skins for 12 to 24 hours. Slowly fermented in stainless steel and barrels with natural yeast. Stopped when sugars and acids found balance and matured on lees. Bottled unfined and filtered.Winemaker Jonathan Hughes says: Riesling is used to make such a broad spectrum of wines that almost everyone can find one they like. From dry to sweet, young to aged, still to sparkling the possibilities are vast. As a result there always seems to be a riesling to suit the weather or occasion.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
JH. A recent excursion proved that our riesling works very well with some Asian fusion over a cheeky lunch in the city. If you happen to be in Tassie, find a few oysters and some water views on a sunny day.
RRP $33 | Drink to 2028 | mewstonewines.com.au
2022 Mountadam Eden Valley Riesling
Crafted from riesling vines planted in 1968, on Mountadam’s western vineyard, this riesling expresses lifted floral aromas. It has clean, crisp citrus flavours and delicate minerality.Winemaker Caitlin Brown says: The differing levels of residual sugar, acidity, oak influence and ability to age in riesling makes these different styles a match for any meal, season and temperature across the world. People are becoming more and more familiar with the varying styles of riesling.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
CB. Drink this riesling ice cold, on a warm day, with friends and a barbecue. Other ideal food pairings include pork belly with caramelised pears and pickled kohlrabi, spicy soft-shell crab with coconut dressing, and Coffin Bay oysters.
RRP $28 | Drink to 2033 | mountadam.com.au
2022 Pikes The Merle Riesling
Brilliant clarity with slight green hues. Highly perfumed, lifted floral notes of citrus blossom with a lime juice focus. Some talcy elements hinting at minerality. The palate is refined yet powerful. A medley of lime flavours; juice, zest and leaf. Focused yet approachable acid line reminiscent of crunchy granny smith apples. A very long finish showing the hallmark balance of fruit, acid and talcy textures that are markers of a truly great vintage.Chief Winemaker Steve Baraglia says: Riesling is one of the great white wine varieties of the world. It's such a versatile variety that can made into several styles dry, semi-sweet or dessert, and it handles climatic conditions better than most other varieties. The style produced from a particular region will be dictated by the region's climatic condition. We are lucky in the Clare Valley and can produce dry, delicate rieslings with balanced acidities.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
SB. Riesling pairs with a lot of different dishes, but I really enjoy a current vintage dry riesling with freshly caught King George whiting. As riesling ages it develops different characters, which allows it to pair with richer foods. Riesling is also a great wine bargain – consumed young or with careful cellaring, it will age gracefully in your cellar.
RRP $55 | Drink to 2037 | pikeswines.com.au
2021 Ridgemill Estate Riesling
Granite Belt riesling with aromas of blossom, citrus, lemon, lime and talc. The palate is focused with green apple, pear with lemon, lime, grapefruit and steely minerality – finishing harmoniously and persistent.Winemaker Peter McGlashan says: Riesling is an amazing and truly universal grape – from dry to sweet, fresh and crisp to skin-contact and barrel fermented styles, you really can create a great riesling.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
PM. On a warm seaside day, served cold, paired with fresh, unshucked oysters or sashimi.
RRP $30 | Drink to 2035 | ridgemillestate.com
2022 Robert Stein Dry Riesling
Another vintage that has big shoes to fill off the back of the numerous gold medals and trophies that are now synonymous with Robert Stein riesling. The 2022 has many similar characteristics to previous vintages and shows riesling can still perform exceptionally well in cooler years. A classic dry riesling, with all the mouth-puckering lime and fruit characters you would expect, leading to a crisp finish with incredible length. This wine will age beautifully.Director and chief winemaker Jacob Stein says: Climate is a huge factor when it comes to making great riesling. The grape can be grown around the world in many different climates and sites, which makes it a very approachable variety – with varying acid and sugar levels – the possibilities and creativity are endless.
H. How is this riesling best enjoyed?
JS. This classic dry riesling is perfect for the warmer months; serve cool for a ripe burst of citrus. Pair the 2022 with oysters and fresh fish fillets.
RRP $40 | Drink to 2032 | robertstein.com.au
