riesling

Definition

A versatile white wine grape that thrives in cooler climates, producing everything from bone-dry to dessert-sweet wines that sommeliers love to pontificate about. Germany's signature variety, it's the wine world's proof that sweet doesn't have to mean cheap, though good luck convincing people who swore off sweet wine in college. High acidity and aromatic complexity make it the thinking person's white wine.

Example Usage

The wine director paired the spicy Thai curry with a slightly off-dry Riesling from the Mosel Valley, its sweetness balancing the heat perfectly.

Source: Wine variety terminology

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