Enjoy a summer of Riesling

Maybe this will be the year that Riesling takes over the world… unlikely, but if you ask anyone in the wine industry, we are just around the corner from the rest of the world seeing the light and drinking Riesling instead of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or the present favourite; Rose.

The industry is doing all it can to persuade more wine drinkers to embrace Riesling and we are in the middle of one of the key promotional tools. The #summerofriesling around Australia has been driven by the Riesling Downunder events which have morphed from an industry based benchmarking exercise into a series of events around the country including events showcasing more than 70 producers from around the world in one room (February 4 in Melbourne, rieslingdownunder.com.au).

The move from simply explaining the nobility and versatility of Riesling to actively putting large volumes of it in front of consumers started a decade ago in New York. Paul Greico of Terroirs Wine bar decided that giving customers the choice to try a Riesling wasn’t enough; they had to have no choice in the matter. He put nearly two dozen different Rieslings on their by the glass menu with no other white wine options to choose from. The move could easily have driven customers away by being so inhospitable to anyone who wanted a glass of wine with their meal that wasn’t Riesling, but this has slowly rolled into a global trend that has now been on our shores for at least three years.

The Riesling Downunder event started out at one of the finest producers in the country, Frankland Estate, where their pursuit of improving and benchmarking against the world’s best became an event drawing wine producers, critics and sellers from around the world. Since the first event in 2001, it is now more inclusive of casual wine drinkers with a showcase every three years of more than 70 producers in one room.

The event is a great opportunity to meet some of the best winemakers from around the world, taste hundreds of Rieslings and find your bearings with this versatile grape. Versatility may be the greatest attribute of the grape; its ability to produce exceptional wines in a multitude of styles from sparkling to dry all the way to dessert wines. The variety of flavours and textures that can be expressed based on where it is grown may be the exact reason those in the wine industry love it, while those that drink wine more casually just don’t get it and stick to safer, more predictable choices. This is an understandable decision, but as a lover of Riesling I will always advocate giving it another try, and there is no better opportunity to do so than events like these.

Rocky Gully Riesling 2017 – $18.99
This is the second label of Frankland Estate in WA’s Frankland River region. Year in, year out, this is one of the best value wines in the country, produced from organically grown fruit and designed for early and easy drinking pleasure. The crisp, minerally acidity sits subtly in the background, carrying the wine along and giving it plenty of refreshing quality. This release is consistent with many Riesling producing regions around Australia in 2017; they are a little more fruit-forward and vibrant. It jumps out of the glass with aromatic florals, juicy citrus and subtler apple in the background. Perfect no-frills drinking with some fish and chips.