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A perennial favorite

Wherever you find it, Riesling has a great taste and pedigree

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
March 7th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Complex white wine starts at home, in Germany, but Moravia also has fine grapes.
It’s found in many guises: Johannisberger, Weisser Riesling, Rhine Riesling, Ryzlink Rýnský or, in its spiritual homeland of Germany, simply as Riesling. It is the world’s most highly rated white grape variety.
Riesling’s origins suggest it may have descended from the original wild grape Vitis Silvestris. It has long been the pride of vineyards lying more or less along the latitude of Alsace in eastern France, into the Rhineland and on to Saxony, deep in former East Germany. That line extends into the Czech Republic, with the best Riesling sites lying along the Elbe valley in areas such as Roudnice, Mělník and Žernoseky. In Moravia, it gives a very different expression: floral with slightly mineral undertones.
The Riesling vine grows vigorously, with wood tough enough to resist the most extreme conditions of cold and frost — which is as well, since it is a late ripener — making it eminently suited to extreme conditions on the edge of wine regions. But it demands the best of these sites, the precipitous south-facing slopes in the Rhine and Mosel valleys being prime examples.  
Typical Riesling lends amazing, steely wine with high acidity and noticeable mineral qualities. Pronounced notes of petroleum come to the fore, especially as the wine matures. Late-harvest versions are full of peach and apricot tones, while wines with special attributes (Prädikat or jakostní víno s přívlastkem in Czech) can be packed with spiciness and have great aging potential.
As a point of interest, the oldest Riesling in the world is dated 1540, from a barrel that was hidden from the marauding Swedish Army in Würzburg. Noted authority Hugh Johnson describes being taken to a tasting of this wine, by then in bottle, as a young man in the 1960s. The wine was extremely deep in color, with a pronounced nose that, after half a minute, completely disintegrated, just like Tutankhamen’s mummy when it was exposed to sunlight. Two bottles still remain — one in a German museum, the other in the care of the cellarmaster of Queen Elizabeth II of England.  
For those interested in this variety, the annual Riesling Gallery exhibition takes place in Prague March 7 and 8 at the National House of Wine, a new four-story establishment dedicated to local wines, on Mostecká street (between Charles Bridge and Malostranské náměstí). Also, every August a Riesling tasting is organized in the south Moravian town of Bzenec. Although most entries were local, last year saw a noticeable increase in wines from Austria, Germany and Alsace. Medal winners are available for sampling throughout the show. (For more information, check www.galerierr.info.)
Winery of the month  
Vinum Moravicum
During the actual tasting competition for the aforementioned Riesling Gallery, participants were introduced to a brand-new winery called Vinum Moravicum. Set on the edge of Bzenec, at the end of what was then a muddy road full of heavy construction equipment, this winery founded in 2005 represents a huge investment by three young winemakers from the area. Some grapes come from their own single-hectare vineyards, with the bulk bought in from sites chosen from across Moravia. All the high-tech accoutrements are on show in this winery:  a pneumatic press to allow only the lightly pressed grape juice into the tanks, temperature-controlled fermentation and French oak barriques. The first vintage appeared this year, very promising and fresh. Only 50,000 bottles were produced, which will serve a mainly private clientele. Production will continue at the staff learn nuances of the local terroir. (For more information, check
www.vinummoravicum.cz.)
Wines of the month
Local Riesling: Bisenc, Bzenec 2006
Producer: Petr Kunc; Bzenec, south Moravia    
From the organizer of the Riesling Gallery, who hails from the Riesling town of Bzenec near Kyjov, we find a typical expression of a youthful Riesling, pale to the eye and filled with the scents of Moravian meadows in full bloom. (150 Kč/$7)   
Foreign Riesling: Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2003
Producer: Markus Molitor; Bernkastel-Wehlen, Germany
This fine example from the Mosel valley is of a light-straw hue, with a delicate nose of citrus fruit and honey laced with diesel fumes. It’s still full of youth, when one sip demands another. The palate is intense with mineral undertones, as befits the excellent vineyard site that bore the grapes from which this wine was made. (400 Kč)         
March Events Diary
Bokovka is a small wine bar at Pštrossova 8, close to the National Theater, named after the celebrated wine movie Sideways. It’s co-owned by wine buffs such as film director David Ondříček, photographer Tono Stano and graphic artist Aleš Najbrt, among others, who take turns waiting tables on Mondays. Imagine Jan Hřebejk (Cosy Dens, Pupendo, Divided We Fall, Up and Down) serving you your favorite Bordeaux!

Helena Baker can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (7/03/2007):

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