Give Thanks--For Riesling

It’s time once again to give thanks…and to cook.  In my household, that also means that it’s time to choose the wine for Thanksgiving dinner.  That’s always a challenge because of the very wide variety of food we tend to serve at this holiday.  It’s especially a challenge when you are on a tight budget – as most of us are this year.

That’s why I’m thankful this year for Riesling.  It goes with almost any food; it is easy to find on local grocery shelves; it is unusual to find a bad one; and it is generally quite affordable.  What’s not to love?

Riesling is a white grape that originally came from Germany.  The very best Riesling wine is still made there.  But those aren’t the ones to look for this Thanksgiving, as they tend to retail for more than $30.  Fortunately, there are a lot of very good Rieslings that are available locally for under $10.  As my sister recently – and accurately – pointed out to me (when she found herself at a local wine sale without any wines that she recognized), “So, I bought a couple bottles of Riesling because it seems like a good bet.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a really bad one.”

Rieslings tend to be slightly sweet wines with wonderfully perfumy aromas.  That means that when you stick your nose in the glass, you’re going to smell a lot of things going on – flowers, tropical fruits and/or minerals.  The flavors you smell are typically repeated in the flavors you taste.  I often smell or taste peaches, honey or green apples.  When you sip it, you’ll notice that it has a crisp quality to it that almost seems to make it thirst-quenching.

This crispness is a result of the relatively high acidity of Riesling.  Although you may not necessarily be able to single out the acid when you drink the wine, it’s the thing that balances out the sugar so that the wine doesn’t taste like Kool-Aid.  Why does it do that?  Consider a lime and a peach.  There is almost the same amount of sugar in both of these fruits (for similarly sized servings).  But the peach tastes a lot sweeter.  Why?  It’s the citric acid in the lime that balances out the sugar.

Riesling came to the United States with German immigrants in the mid to late 1800s.  The first place they planted it was New York State, where many wonderful Rieslings are still made.  More vines were planted in California and Washington.  Although some Riesling grapes are planted in Oregon, the grape has not really caught on the way that pinot noir and pinot gris have.

Rieslings are wonderfully flexible wines.  They are not so strong that they overpower delicately flavored food, and they are not too subtle to be lost when paired with intensely flavored foods.  In fact, Riesling is one of the few wines that go quite nicely with Asian food – whether it’s the gentle flavors of fresh sushi or the spicy heat of wasabi.  For a wine that can meet that kind of challenge, Thanksgiving is a snap.  You can drink it with your salad.  It will compliment your turkey.  And, for good measure, it will be a great pair for that pumpkin pie.

Now that you’re thirsty, what to look for?  We’re lucky to have a nice selection in our local stores of quality, value-priced Rieslings.  Look for any of the following (and don’t worry about the vintage – the year it was made – because these tend to be pretty consistent from year to year):

● Covey Run Riesling (Washington; about $8).  This is a great value for a nicely balanced wine that is amazingly complex for the price.

● Banrock Station Riesling (Australia; about $7).  This is another great value, and it may even improve with age.  At this price, you can afford to buy one for now and one for later.

● Lindeman’s Riesling Southeastern Australia Bin 75 (Australia; about $7).  This is a good example of one of the typical styles of Australian Riesling.

● Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Riesling (California; about $10).  This one is well-balanced with nice citrus notes.  It would be especially good with dessert.

● Fetzer Valley Oaks German Riesling (Germany; about $10).  This is a great (and affordable) option if you are curious about those German Rieslings. 

So check out our local stores, grab yourself a bottle or two of one of these (or just about any other Riesling you find) and serve it with your Thanksgiving feast.  You’ll save a little money, and, like me, you just might find that you have another thing to be thankful for this year – flexible and affordable Riesling.