The Riesling grape originated in Germany and was usually vinified sweet.

For a grape that is planted in so many countries worldwide, few wine lovers rank Riesling as among their favorite varietals, instead naming whites like Chardonnay, even Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc ahead of it. Once appreciated for the very qualities that distinguished Riesling—its sweetness, richness and acid—today the sale of sweet wines (usually for dessert), even French Sauternes, has decreased in favor of what many perceive as more sophisticated dry varietals.

Those, like myself, who love Riesling claim the very expensive, caramel-sweet Germanic styles like Trockenbeerenauslese or American Late Harvest Rieslings are among the world’s greatest wines. The lighter, dry styles, called Trocken, introduced in the 1970s, have improved appreciatively as a white wine to be enjoyed with seafood. In Italy, California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Texas, New Zealand, and Canada, there are some excellent dry examples.

KAYSERSBERG, FRANCE – OCTOBER 9: A worker selects the best grapes during the Riesling harvest in … [+] Domaine Weinbach winery’s Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard on October 9, 2019 on the slopes above the village of Kaysersberg in the Alsace region of eastern France. Alsace has some 16,000 hectares (over 39,500 acres) of vineyards in 119 villages with over 2,000 growers producing their own wine and includes 51 Grand Cru AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) on the steep foothills of the Vosges mountain range. The Alsace AOC rules require that variety-labelled wines be only a single type of grape from any of the Riesling (21.9% of overall production), Pinot Blanc (21.2%), Gewurztraminer (19.4%), Pinot Gris (15.4%), Sylvaner (7.5%), Muscat d’Alsace (2.3%) and other white grapes (2.4%) as well as the Pinot Noir (9.9%) red grape. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)

Riesling probably originated in Germany’s Rhine Valley, and since Austria and Alsace were for so long German territory, it was natural for vignerons to plant the grape in their similar, dry, cool climates, where it is still the principal varietal grown. Some of the best known and best-selling German Rieslings estates (called Weinguts) include Trimbach; Albert Mann; Sclumberger; Hugel: Marcel Deiss: Robert Weil; Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler; Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich; and Boxler.

I’ve enjoyed all of these, as well as American West Coast Rieslings. Those from California’s Mendocino Valley and Monterey are some of the best, including Kendall-Jackson and Jekel, and Washington State’s Château Ste. Michelle and Bonny Doon.

This line of wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley is made by the German Loosen family.

New to me is Appassionata GG 2018 ($50) from the esteemed German Mosel Valley winegrower Ernst Loosen. The “GG” is Dr. Loosen’s term Grosses Gewächs (“great growths”), signifying a dry-style wine made with grapes from vines planted back in 1976 in the Chehalem Mountains in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. “Appassionata” means passion, and Loosen developed a powerful one when he saw Oregon’s future 30 years ago and opened a collaborative estate in 2005 with J. Christopher Wines, creating an epical line of wines under this label. The wine spent a long time on the lees and was fermented in a German oak cask for 12 months before bottling at 13% alcohol. The age of the wine is all to its benefit, creating harmony and nuance, mild spice, good for lake fish, shrimp, and cheeses.

I am among many who believe New York State makes some of the finest Rieslings in the world. Aldo Sohm, wine director at New York’s Le Bernardin and co-owner of Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, told me, “I do think it’s remarkable how the Finger Lakes wines of New York State have achieved such quality in so short a time, when Germany and Alsace have had hundreds of years’ experience with Riesling.”

Fred and Meaghan Frank are celebrating the late Dr. Konstantin Frank’s 125th birthday at the winery…

The prime examples come from New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes district, not least the pioneering wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank, an estate this year celebrating what would have been Frank’s 125^th birthday on July Fourth. Frank brought Riesling to the region in the 1950s at a time when the varietals were mostly native labrusca or hybrids, usually fairly sweet. Dr. Konstantin Frank 2023 Dry Riesling ($18.99) is still made from the original vines, and current vintages are better than ever, certainly an option when you are tired of Sauvignon Blanc. In all those years this has been his signature Riesling, the very essence of the Finger Lakes style in its fine balance of fruit and citrus and ginger. I drank this the other night with pasta with wild mushrooms, and it was a glorious match.

Morten and Lisa Hallgren, from Denmark, founded Ravines winery on Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes.

I also recommend other Finger Lakes examples like Ravines Dry Riesling 2020 ($18) made by Morten and Lisa Hallgren. Morten, from Denmark, worked on his family’s French wine estate and later with Dr. Konstantin Frank. The winery is on Keuka Lake, with a 59-acre White Springs Vineyard whose soil is composed of loam over limestone. They are proud of the dryness of this Riesling, whose fermentation and aging occurs in stainless steel tanks, using only ambient yeasts. An excellent choice with trout or salmon.

Like most Finger Lakes wineries, Fox Run has tasting and store facilities.

Fox Run Vineyards 2022 ($18) has a lovely lemongrass component, using five different yeast strains. It was a small but intense vintage with the sugars built up during a hot summer, so ripening provided the fruitiness while the acids took time to counter them with refreshing mineral flavors. Winemaker Craig Hobadh was able to achieve a tonality very much in the Finger Lakes style. Good to drink as an apéritif or with vegetable dishes, even asparagus.

From Long Island’s North Fork I’m impressed by the estates Paumonok, Martha Clara Vineyards, and Wolffer. Paumonok, located on the north shore of Long Island, NY, sells its wines online, and the Semi-Dry Riesling 2022 ($24) is a perennial favorite. It has sweet fruit flavors but enough acidity to make it ideal with spicy Asian foods with the same components, like Peking duck, Gen Tsao’s chicken, and barbecue with a glaze. It’s 9.5% alcohol.

Messina Hof is an award-winning Texas winery whose Riesling is one of many varietals produced.

Messina Hof is an award-winning Texas winery that produces a wide variety of wines. Paul Vincent and Merrill Bonarrigo founded the estate in 1977, using Texas grapes when other state wineries shipped theirs in from other regions. The current production is over 200,000 gallons and can even be bought in Japan. Their Off-Dry Riesling 2023 ($25), with its labels annually created by Texas artists, is made in the Texas High Plains. It is indeed semi-dry (rather than semi-sweet), but the hint of sweetness makes it a good choice to enjoy with desserts like apple pie or mild cheeses like Gouda.

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