Displaying items by tag: riesling

Summary: 

Riesling isn’t the first grape we think of when considering “international varieties.” Yet it thrives from the suntraps of Napa Valley to the cool valleys of the Antipodes.

In this WSG Live, we will briefly examine the origins of Riesling, trace its early spread through Germany, and then zero in on the surprising range of regions where it thrives today: Alsace, Austria, Luxembourg, Northern Italy, the U.S. West Coast, Michigan, and New York, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

With a focus on the terroir, traditions, and innovations that affect the style in each place, we will uncover what makes Riesling so well-suited to such a wild array of climates, soil types, trellising styles, and winemaking approaches.  

Presenter: Valerie Kathawala

Valerie Kathawala is a New York City-based writer specializing in the wines of Austria, Germany, South Tyrol, and Switzerland.

She is a lifelong student of German culture and language and has lived, studied, and worked in both Germany and Austria. Valerie holds a WSET advanced certification and has hands-on harvest and cellar experience in two of Riesling’s spiritual homelands: the Mosel and the Finger Lakes.

Valerie’s work appears in SevenFifty Daily, Pipette, Glug, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Pellicle, WineFolly, The Vintner Project, and more. She is co-founder and co-editor of the wine magazine Trink. 

Summary: 

Niederösterreich is Austria’s largest province and also its biggest wine-growing region for “Qualitätswein”. This province is home to the most famous Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings from the country but is known for much more than these two precious grapes. Under its name is gathered an abundant diversity of wine cultures, ranging from vinous stylings of local varietal rarities to distinctive interpretations of international types. The cooling influences from the Northwest bring freshness to its wines while the warm winds from the Pannonian side support the generous fruit one will also find in many examples from Niederösterreich.

Let us take a stroll along the Danube and hear about sonorous names such as Wachau, Krems- and Kamptal and find some exciting treasures from the Carnuntum and Thermenregion.

Presenter: Andreas Wickhoff MW

Commencing with vintage 2016, Andreas Wickhoff MW has been managing director for Weingut Bründlmayer in Austria's Kamptal and oversees, along with Willi Bründlmayer, all operations for this leading estate. Before that, he was general manager for a group of premium wineries from Austria for 12 years. Ahead of establishing this association in 2004, he worked as a sommelier and wine buyer in Corsica, France and Vail, CO, USA. Andreas is a graduate of the College of Tourism and Hotel Management in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, and completed a degree in Food & Hospitality Management at Martin College in Brisbane, AUS. Upon receiving his Master of Wine title in 2012, Andreas won four awards for excellence in particular areas of the exam, including the much acclaimed Madame Bollinger medal for outstanding achievement in the practical paper. He also is a lecturer at the Austrian Wine Academy and judge at international wine competitions.

Summary: 

While Austria in terms of volume only plays a minor role in the global wine context, the country’s wines have gained more and more fans around the world thanks to their high quality and unique elements.

The diversity related to the size of Austria’s vineyards is immense, ranging from zesty Grüner Veltliners and vibrant Rieslings along the Danube valley over to Vienna’s field blends down to charming Sauvignon Blancs from Steiermark and up to crunchy Blaufränkisch and fruity Zweigelts from Burgenland.

Discover the beautiful landscapes, demanding soils and the tension of opposites in this webinar about Austria’s wine country!

Presenter: Andreas Wickhoff MW

Commencing with vintage 2016, Andreas Wickhoff MW has been managing director for Weingut Bründlmayer in Austria's Kamptal and oversees, along with Willi Bründlmayer, all operations for this leading estate. Before that, he was general manager for a group of premium wineries from Austria for 12 years. Ahead of establishing this association in 2004, he worked as a sommelier and wine buyer in Corsica, France and Vail, CO, USA.

Andreas is a graduate of the College of Tourism and Hotel Management in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, and completed a degree in Food & Hospitality Management at Martin College in Brisbane, AUS. Upon receiving his Master of Wine title in 2012, Andreas won four awards for excellence in particular areas of the exam, including the much acclaimed Madame Bollinger medal for outstanding achievement in the practical paper. He also is a lecturer at the Austrian Wine Academy and judge at international wine competitions.

There’s no wine region I enjoy visiting more than Alsace. 

It’s beautiful, of course – and not just the half-timbered houses around which a profusion of flowers seem to float, or the grand hillside vineyards romping up to the forested Vosges mountains, always somehow bigger and more imposing in scale than those of Burgundy. The growers are fascinating characters, too, as if their historical and geographical position, wedged between (and much fought-over by) France and Germany, has given them an independence of thought which eludes those with a more settled position in each wine culture. 

Then there’s the wines. It’s commonplace to say that Alsace wines are underappreciated -- but it’s true. For me, no white wine region can offer more diversity and intrigue than Alsace, nor does any single regional range of white wines appeal more to my palate...

Summary: 

Get a thorough view of Alsatian Riesling from an expert on Alsace! This grape variety with the highest reputation in Alsace can produce wines with an incredibly wide range of styles, from dry to sweet. This session will also explore the mineral dimensions of all Alsace terroirs. Learn about the supposedly famous and typical petrol aromas, about what is a truly dry Riesling, and discover how a famous producer's Riesling style may be better explained by its distinctive terroir of origin rather than by its winemaking style.

Presenter: Thierry Meyer

Thierry Meyer was born and raised in Alsace, France. He began writing about wine in 1999, using the newly-emerging internet wine forums to share tasting notes and insights into the wines of Alsace.

In 2001, Thierry started his signature dinner series, dedicated to pairing Alsace wines with fine food. He founded LOenothque Alsace in 2006 and launched the website oenoalsace.com, one of the most comprehensive websites dedicated to Alsace wines. At the same time, he started to promote a program of structured Alsace wine masterclasses and dinners.

From 2007 to 2011, Thierry was contributing editor of Le Guide Bettane & Desseauve des Vins de France, the influential French wine guide.

In 2014, Thierry started to lead the new Alsace Master-level education program for the Wine Scholar Guild, the leading provider of French wine study and certification programs internationally.

Study Alsace wines in-depth with our Alsace Study Trips. Learn more about French wines with the French Wine Scholar study & certification program.

Summary: 

Do you prefer Rieslings that are floral or fruity? Or do you appreciate an Old World style of Riesling with a petrol character?
Regardless of your preference, the characteristics of the wines you enjoy come from the vineyard. Climate, site, and vineyard management practices directly impact the production of specific flavors and aromas in wine grapes.

In this session you will learn how the unique Riesling qualities you value are produced in the vineyard and how climatic variation impacts those traits.

Presenter: Justine Vanden Heuvel

Justine Vanden Heuvel is an Associate Professor in Cornell Universitys School of Integrative Plant Science. She is actively involved in both research and teaching. She co-teaches the popular Wines & Vines class at Cornell, as well as more advanced courses including Principles and Practices of Growing Grapes and Making Wines.

Dr. Vanden Heuvels research focuses on optimizing flavors and aromas in wine grapes, and improving both the environmental and economic sustainability of wine grape production systems in cool climates. In response to the broad needs of the grape and wine industry, her program has established a strong focus on multi-disciplinary and collaborative approaches.

Dr. Vanden Heuvel is widely published in the field, with some of her most recent work appearing in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, HortTechnology and the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. She is currently writing a textbook intended for college-level introductory courses in Viticulture and Enology.

Bibliography

• Reynolds, A.G., I.V. Senchuk, C. van der Reest, C. de Savigny. 2007. Use of GPS and GIS for elucidation of terroir: Spatial variation in an Ontario Riesling vineyard. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 58: 145-162.
• Fischer, U., D. Roth, and M. Christmann. 1999. The impact of geographic origin, vintage, and wine estate on sensory properties of Vitis vinifera cv. Riesling wines. Food Quality and Preference 10: 281-288.
• Meyers, J.M., G.L. Sacks, and J.E. Vanden Heuvel. 2013. Glycosylated aroma compound responses in Riesling grapes to cluster exposure and vine yield. HortTechnology 23: 581-588.
• Vanden Heuvel, J.E. and T.L. Preszler, 2014. Cluster thinning in Late Harvest Riesling: Does it pay? Wines and Vines Magazine, May issue: 90-97.
• Kwasniewski, M.T., J.E. Vanden Heuvel, B. Pan, and G.L. Sacks. 2010. Timing of cluster light environment manipulation during grape development affects C13 norisoprenoid and carotenoid concentration of Riesling. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58: 6841-6849.
• Reynolds, A.G., D.A. Wardle, M.A. Cliff, and M. King. 2004. Impact of training system and vine spacing on vine performance, berry composition, and wine sensory attributes in Riesling. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 55: 96-103.
• Preszler, T.L., T.M. Schmit, and J.E. Vanden Heuvel. 2010. A model to establish economically sustainable cluster thinning practices. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 61: 140-146.
• Preszler, T.L., T.M.Schmit, and J.E. Vanden Heuvel. 2013. Cluster thinning reduces the economic sustainability of Riesling production. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 64: 333-341.
• Reynolds, A.G. and J.E. Vanden Heuvel. 2009. Influence of grapevine training systems on vine growth and fruit composition: A review. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 60: 251-268.

Learn more about French wines with the French Wine Scholar study & certification program.