Daily Wine Tidbits

What do most people think of when they think of a Riesling? They think of a sweet, dessert like wine. However, if you're one of those people that love a sweet Riesling, you should be careful on which type you buy because a Riesling can be sweet OR dry depending on where it's from! If you want a dry Riesling, make sure the wine is from the region of Alsace in France. The grapes grown here are able to be grown to a more ripened state, and the alcohol content is going to 11 to 12%, thus making the Riesling a drier variety. However, if you're after a sweeter Riesling, you should get one from Germany, where the grapes are not fully ripened and sugar must be added. Also, the alcohol in a German Riesling is only going to be 8 to 9%, so it makes for a sweeter wine. There are other parts of the world that grow the grape variety Riesling, but these are the two major producers of this grape. So, now you know!