Every July in the UK we celebrate German Riesling with ‘31 days of Riesling’. Sommeliers and the wider wine trade are enthusiastic ambassadors of these epic wines. With the staggering amount of diversity and 13 unique regions to choose from: there’s a wine for everyone. We’ve put together a pack for you to enjoy with some of our very favourite Rieslings if you’re still not convinced here are 31 more reasons to love Riesling.
Perfect summer tipple – German Riesling, one of the most refreshing beverages known to Human-Kind. All those zesty, zingy, mouth-watering flavours perfectly quench your thirst in the warm summer months.
- Food pairing hero – there are so many excellent food & wine pairings for Riesling, its flavour profile is incredibly versatile.
- Great value for money – German wines on the whole represent excellent value and are often overlooked, but we’re here to spread the good word and get more people enjoying them.
- Unique – as with other world-class wines, German Riesling has a unique profile, sense of place and plenty of character.
- Best white wine in the world – In the terms of quality, these wines are in the very elite leagues, they can challenge the finest wines of the world.
- Great at a BBQ – If you’re looking for the perfect wine to take to a bbq, look no further. A German Riesling is the perfect pairing for sausages, pork chops and sticky BBQ chicken.
- Varying soil types – from the famous blue slate of the Mosel, the varied soils of Pfalz or the fertile rolling hills of the Rheinhessen; there are lots to choose from and lots of unique expressions.
- Varying climates – With the 13 wine-growing regions spread out across the nation add to the complexity and variety of these wines.
- Varying sweetness – The vast majority are dry but there are excellent sweeter styles if you’d like to dabble with sweeter wines, richer and more opulent styles of wine.
- Long history – Home to some of the oldest commercial wineries in the world dating back to 1805 and still operating today!
- Beautiful vineyards – dramatic landscapes of hills, valleys and long winding rivers like the Mosel make for incredibly beautiful vineyards which have to be seen to be believed.
- Pairs great with pork – One of the best wine pairings ever is roasted pork loin and Riesling, it’s the perfect Sunday treat. The acidity and freshness cut through the richness of the pork perfectly.
- Complexity – off-the-charts complexity of flavours, there are more simple entry Rieslings available but they have the ability to be full-bodied luscious and rewarding wines.
- Accessible – there are plenty of entry Rieslings which are affordable and drink well when young and available, check out the 2020 vintage wines in our Riesling pack!
- Great paired with ramen – a hard food and wine pairing to master with so many big flavours but Riesling does the job here perfectly.
- High levels of quality of viticulture – There’s a great culture towards sustainable farming and low intervention winemaking across the regions. Many of the steep vineyards of many regions have to be picked by hand and the quality levels go through the roof.
- Can be low in alcohol, and plenty of 9% high-quality Riesling wines so if you can still indulge on a school night.
- Age worthy – If you’re looking for high-quality wines to lie down in your cellar and age for a special occasion then Riesling could work well. The high acidity in the wines allows them to age elegantly with wonderfully complex results.
- Pairs great with Thai food – Riesling brings out the best in Thai food, it matches the aromas of the food and enhances while complimenting the spice and dealing with the complexity.
- It can make great sparkling wine – Have you ever tried Sekt? Champagne for a fraction of the price, we don’t drink enough Sekt in this country and it’s so rewarding.
- Eiswein – Everyone remembers where they were when they tried their first Eiswein. Many countries and regions try to make Eiswein but the Germans nail it. A wine that tastes like nectar! It’s a real treat.
- Impress your mates – Bottles of Riesling just aren’t enough sometimes, they’re incredibly drinkable and if you’re sharing with friends you might want to invest in an impressive magnum with its huge, elongated neck.
- Expressive – Like the very best wines in the world, German Riesling tells a story, has a sense of place, and expresses the vintage, place and winemaking techniques so perfectly when they’re done well.
- A great alternative to Sauvignon Blanc – bored of Savy B? Yeah us too, try something new with a similar aromatic profile like Riesling and broaden your wine drinking horizons.
- Great by the glass – lookout for Riesling by the glass in your local restaurant or bar, it’s a great lunchtime wine!
- Conversation starter – ‘I tried this amazing Riesling at Bottles ‘N’ Jars’ the other day, for wine lovers, it’s a great conversation starter and something a bit different.
- Best Riesling in the world – many countries make excellent Riesling but nothing comes close to German, if you wanted to try Riesling for the first time make sure you’re drinking the best.
- Choice – Germany producers around 1.3 billion bottles of Riesling a year, we guarantee there will be a Riesling that’s a right fit for you
- 13 regions – including; Ahr, Baden, Franken, Hessische Bergstraße, Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen and Württemberg there’s so many places to enjoy & explore, bottle by bottle.
- Great with Sushi – the zesty, pure and complex notes make it perfect to compliment sushi. Sparkling Riesling (Sekt) would also work great here too.
- Somms love them – it’s no secret that sommeliers and wine professionals love Riesling for the above reasons and they want to share their favourites with you.
- It's Riesling!!!!!!
31 Days of Riesling Tasting Pack £60
This month our pack is to celebrate German Riesling and ’31 days of Riesling’ this July. If you haven’t seen it check out our latest blog post where we confess our love for these incredible wines and give you 31 reasons to try/revisit. We’ve selected three of our favourite expressions of famous German Regions including Pfalz, Mosel and Rheingau. This pack can be delivered nationwide to your front door or collected for free in East Finchley. All these wines are also available to buy individually and in-store.
What’s in the box??
1. 2020 Riesling Kabinett Trocken, Koehler-Ruprecht – Pfalz Region
Koehler-Ruprecht, is a bit of a mouthful and so are the wines, incredibly generous and expressive wines. Founded in the 1700s, they’ve built a strong reputation for making dry styles of Riesling. The winery is proud to keep identical traditional techniques going and have a low intervention approach to winemaking. The wines are spontaneously fermented and aged in barrels, some of which are over 120 years old.
2. 2020 `Tres Naris` Riesling Trocken Axel Pauly – Mosel Region
Axel is widely regarded as one of the rising stars of German wine. Before taking the reigns from his father at the family-run estate, he gained winemaking experience around the world in New Zealand, California, and other German regions. Axel makes a slightly off-dry style of wine, but due to the excellent freshness he captures and subsequent balance, these wines are a dream to drink. It’s a true, genuine and pure expression of the Mosel.
3. 2019 `Winkel` Riesling Kabinett Trocken Schloss Vollrads – Rheingau Region
To the east of the Mosel, situated on the river Rhine, we have the famous region of Rheingau. This estate has 800 years of winemaking experience and are considered a true pioneer. In fact, they were the first estate to produce a Kabinett style of wine. It has wonderful flavours of ripe summer peaches and juicy yellow apples and a finish that keeps developing.