According to a recent survey sponsored by the Deutsches Weinstitut and the Centre Français du Commerce Extérieur, in conjunction with Onivins, and conducted by DMD Research, in the U.S., Riesling is surpassed only by Chardonnay.
At restaurants, particularly in the sophisticated Northeast section of the U.S., the survey indicated, German wines are quite popular and a broad range of German wines, from dry and semi-dry, as well as sweet ones are enjoyed.
Well, just what do U.S. consumers think of German wines? The survey produced three key findings:
High Quality. All segments of those surveyed—from those who know a little about wine to connoisseurs— recognize quality in German wines, and the most knowledgeable wine drinkers are the greatest consumers of German wines.
Sweet is not a negative. Sweet whites are regarded as just another variety of white wine, and are rated as highly as dry and semi-dry wines.
Vague Imagery. Although there is perception of good German white wines of all types, this research indicates that German wines are largely unknown and less available than imports from other countries.
But that vague image of German wines is about to change. In fact, several prominent New York restaurants, including Lautèc, for example, selected German wines as the focus of an 11-session staff training program called German Wine Master Class. (Now that would be a nifty class to take because you could explore the whole range of quality German wines.)
The news of Riesling’s popularity doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve always enjoyed a dry (trocken) glass of Riesling. I don’t want to get into wine snobbery wine-speak, but, basically speaking, Riesling offers what I look for in a wine: quality for the price I pay; a nice bouquet; a complimentary taste that goes well with a variety of foods, and a memorable aftertaste. I particularly like the fact that Riesling has a tang of acidity to it and a hint of effervescence that adds interest.
My opinion of Riesling as a quality wine was definitely reinforced during my recent visit to Germany’s Mittelrhein region. (What better place could you drink Riesling than at its origin?) As I cruised along the majestic Rhine from Mainz to Koblenz aboard the KD lines, once again, I was impressed with, not only the amount of vineyards that are here, but with how every square inch of land—even land you would think would be unusable because of its steep pitch— seems to be planted with grapes.
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