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Riesling Grapes

Riesling Grapes which are also known as Johanisberg Riesling, White Riesling, Weisser Riesling, Rheinriesling and Riesling Renano have been grown in Germany's Rhine and Mosel valleys since the 14th century. Riesling grapes are also grown with great success in the Alsace region of France. Riesling grapes are known as the noblest of noble grapes and have been very popular in wines in England throughout the centuries. (see also History of Riesling)

Riesling grapes produce a wide spectrum of wines from dusty dry to magnificently sweet. Riesling grapes have late ripening cycles which allow them the time to extract the minerals and trace elements from the soil. This gives Riesling Wines a distinct flavor which varies greatly depending on the type of soil they are grown in.

Riesling vines are hard wooded and quite tolerant to cold weather. They also bud late and therefore are well suited to the coldest wine growing climates. Riesling grapes are small, round and soft when ripe. They also have tender, greenish yellow skins. Riesling grapes hang in tightly-compacted, winged clusters. This means that they are particularly susceptible to bunch rot and molds, especially if there is a lot of rain during the ripening season.

Riesling grapes produce three distinct styles of wine, dry, half-dry and sweet. Picking the grapes early, when the sugar content is low, gives a crisp, fruity Riesling wine. Leaving the grapes a little longer produces the half-dry variety and if harvesting is done late in the season when the grapes have fully ripened they produce a sweet Riesling Wine.

Riesling grapes prefer a cooler climate such as that of Germany's Mosel and Rhine valleys which allow the grape to ripen over an extended growing period. (see also German Riesling Wines)

Riesling grapes also prefer predominantly slate soils. Taking these two factors into consideration however, there are still a number of North American and Australian wineries which are committed to producing high quality Riesling wines. Such as New York State's Finger Lakes Region where the climate is cooler and the slate soils come close to the conditions found in Germany. (see also Riesling Wine Recommendations)

Are you interested in growing your own grapes at home? If so, I can personally recommend this book by Danie Wium. I recently began growing my own grapes for use in winemaking and this book was an invaluable tool along the way.