ONLINE TASTING - Riesling: The People's Choice!

At one of our recent online tastings, we did a poll of those present to ask what they’d like to see us feature in forthcoming events. Would it be Italian whites? Or Pinot Noir? Nope. Top of the pile was Riesling.

“Riesling is a star and…one of my great wine heroes,” says Jancis Robinson MW OBE, the Grande Dame of wine writing. Here’s your chance to see why she and many other lovers get so excited about Riesling. We’re going to dry a couple of German wines, one dry, one not-so-dry, to see just how versatile the grape can be. And we’re also going to compare them with an example of the grape from the other side of the world in Australia, where – thanks in no small part to an influx of Germans in the 19th century – Riesling thrives.

So banish any memories of dodgy bottles of Liebfraumilch from your minds (most of them contain 0% Riesling) and join us for an evening of crispness and vivacity.

I would recommend buying in advance:

1 bottle of Dry German Riesling
1 bottle of Off-Dry German Riesling
1 bottle of Australian Riesling
With each of these, as we always say, stay away from the bargain basement – we’ve put together a list HERE of decent quality, widely available Rieslings, or ask your local wine shop for advice.

As for food to eat alongside this trio, think of dishes you’d squeeze lemon or sprinkle vinegar onto, or which comes with a tangy sauce – anything from the sea (including fish & chips) would work, but so too would meats like pork, duck and goose, a variety of aromatic Asian dishes (where sweeter Rieslings temper any hints of chilli) and soft cheeses.

One ticket will entitle everyone in your household to attend this tasting – make sure you have enough wine to go around!