A lot of people think of Riesling as that overly sweet wine from Germany, and they dismiss it out of hand, because they only like dry wines. Sorry – it’s time to re-think Riesling. It’s definitely a different taste – there is always some fruit on Riesling, but that doesn’t mean they’re all sweet. They are made in a variety of styles, and thankfully, the German winemakers have created a classification system to help you understand what you’re going to get – and which ones are likely to be dry.
For Riesling first timers who eschew sweeter wines, I recommend sticking with Rieslings from the Mosel region in Germany, that carry the Kabinett classification on the label.
Here are all 6 Riesling classifications, organized by sweetness. Kabinett is driest, with Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein the sweetest.
If you stick with Kabinett to start, you’ll be much more likely to find a drier style, that will be less likely to scare you off with sweetness. If you like it, you can try the other styles, and maybe you’ll find yourself actually LIKING sweet wine. When paired with the right food, a well-made sweet wine can be a game-changer!