Are you looking for the best riesling wine to buy? You’ve come to the right place! In this blog post, we’ll share our top Riesling wine brands and shopping tips. Plus, we’ll provide helpful wine reviews to help you make an informed purchase. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
What is Riesling and why should you drink it?
Riesling is the darling of the wine world – Sommeliers and wine professionals adore it for its crisp, refreshing acidity and ability to pair with a wide range of foods.
On the consumer side of things, it tends to be often misunderstood though, with people assuming it’s sweet. But actually, over 60% of the German Riesling wines produced are dry or off-dry… not sweet! While some Rieslings are dessert wines, many are meant to be sipped with food or as an everyday table white wine.
What Does Riesling Taste Like?
Riesling is a white wine that comes in a range of styles.
Dry Riesling will be crisp and floral with fresh, fruity aromas followed by green fruit flavors of apple, grape, and pear, as well as mineral and earthy flavors. Some warmer climate Rieslings display notes of citrus and stone fruits, such as lime, apricot, and peach. Age adds complexity to these wines, often as toasted nuts or even honey.
Sweet Rieslings, on the other hand, often display intense floral and fruity aromas with notes of apple, grape, and pear, which can extend to citrus and stone fruit flavors such as lemon, lime, apricot, and peach when grom in warmer or more moderate climates.
Don’t expect a sticky sweet syrupy wine, however. Due to the grape’s natural acidity and tangy minerality, the even sweet Rieslings will come across as well-balanced, off-setting the residual sugar.
The best sweet Rieslings do well with age, developing great complexity such as honey, toast, and petrol (my favorite!)
Suggested:
German Riesling 101
German Riesling has a language all its own. Learn everything you need to know about German Riesling in this easy-to-reference post!
>> Read the post here <<
Riesling Food Pairings
Riesling offers crisp, bright and refreshing flavors that are perfect paired with fish and seafood dishes such as halibut, crab, oysters, and lobster. Their high acidity also makes them a great choice for recipes that include a cream sauce or fattier ingredients, such as duck.
This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing directly through my recommendations, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support Wine with Paige. Thanks for being part of the adventure!
Best Riesling Wine Brands
Best Riesling Wine Under $20
Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling
Chateau St. Michelle is my go-to for Riesling! Located in the Columbia Valley of Washington, they are the perfect location for crisp, fresh expressions of Riesling wines. It’s also available at most grocery stores or wine retailers.
The Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling is a dry, refreshing style of Riesling with beautiful fruit flavors, crisp acidity and an elegant finish. It offers inviting sweet citrus aromas and flavors.
Typically $10:
Buy on Wine.com
Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Riesling
Kendall-Jackson is a well-known wine producer. Their large-scale size allows them to offer good quality wines at a good value. This Riesling is crafted from vines in the Monterey, California region, which provides cooling ocean breezes and fog to keep the grapes cool while ripening.
Deliciously crisp with vibrant fruit aromas and subtle spice notes. Layers of apricot, peach and Anjou pear intermingle with bursts of aromatic jasmine delivering a delightful finish.
Typically $13:
Buy on Wine.com
Josef Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Rheingau Riesling
This is a wonderful dry Riesling that provides an accessible entry into sampling German Rieslings. “Trocken” is a dry light-style Riesling, hand-harvested from Rheingau. You’ll find this bottle extremely aromatic with tart green apple, a hint of kumquat, and apricot together with a touch of lime blossom.
Typically $20:
Buy on Wine.com
Best Dry Riesling Wine
Brooks Willamette Valley Riesling
Brooks is one of my favorite Riesling wine brands. They craft incredible wines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine region, even making a few Riesling that rival their German counterparts! This bottle is a dry Riesling with thirst-quenching acidity and notes of mixed citrus, green apple, and honeysuckle.
Typically $25:
Buy on Wine.com
Bouchaine Las Brisas Vineyard Riesling
Bouchaine Vineyards was established on the site of the oldest continually operated winery in Napa Valley’s Carneros region. Riesling is among the rarest of grape varieties planted in Carneros – it does well here, but is generally less appreciated (AKA less profitable) than other varieties that grow in the area.
This rare wine is delicious, crafted in the traditional German Kabinett style. This wine is the liquid version of a walk through a Carneros vineyard in Spring. Bursting with aromas of white flowers, fresh peach and tangy apple notes.
Typically $30:
Buy on Wine.com
Buy Direct from Winery
Muller-Catoir Pfalz Scheurebe Trocken
This dry German Riesling offers a delicate bouquet of tropical fruits such as pineapple and grapefruit as well as gooseberry and cassis. Haardt Scheurebe is focused on freshness, vitality, and the exotic. They’re one of my go-to Riesling wine brands!
Typically $35:
Buy on Wine.com
Best Sweet Riesling Wine
Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Sweet Riesling
This sweet Riesling was one of my first favorite wines and will always hold a special place in my heart!
Chateau St. Michelle crafts great everyday wines, including both a dry and a sweet Riesling. This dessert wine captures the rich, ripe flavor of juicy white peaches. Grapes grown in the Columbia Valley region of Washington. It’s also a great value, generally clocking in at around $10!
Typically $10:
Buy on Wine.com
Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling
The Finger Lakes in New York is another outstanding region for Riesling. This bottle from Dr. Konstantin Frank has just a dash of residual sugar, making it an easy and approachable sweet wine – by far one of the best Riesling wines!
Delicate at first with floral notes, then tropically ripe, brimming with apricot, nectarine and a touch of pineapple. Lemon citrus and acacia blossom balance the sweetness effortlessly.
Typically $16:
Buy on Wine.com
Riesling Wine FAQ’s:
Is Riesling Sweet?
Some Riesling is sweet, but most are actually dry white wines! You can check on the bottle to know for sure – in the U.S., sweet Rieslings will typically be labelled as “sweet, “dessert wine”, or “late harvest”. If you’re looking at a German wine, they have their own labeling system, which I’ve explained here!
Should Riesling be Chilled?
Yes! Most white wines show their best expression when chilled, softening out the acidity and balancing the flavors. If you need to chill your Riesling or other white wine fast, check out this post! Pro tip: I love my VoChill wine chiller, which keeps a single glass of wine chill while you sip it! Use code WINEWITHPAIGE-15 for 15% off.
