On a
hot summer day, there’s nothing better than enjoying the outdoors with a nice glass of wine. Among summer
favourites such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling — a popular varietal for all
seasons — is gaining ground in the warmer months. Particularly, Riesling from Germany has become a hot
commodity in North America.
“Riesling is the queen of the grape varieties, we say, because in Germany we have a cool
climate, which means we have a longer ripening period. It means that our wines have less sugar and therefore
lower alcohol, but more acidity. That makes a very balanced aroma and fruity style of our wines that are very
fresh and crisp. That makes our Riesling wines very different from the Rieslings grown and produced in other
countries,” says Monika Reule, managing director for the German Wine Institute.
According to Reule, Germany produces two-thirds of the Riesling grown worldwide. With
its rich heritage as one of the world’s top wine-producing countries, Germany is considered to be the founder
of the Riesling varietal. Although the grape is now produced worldwide, its “roots” still reside with its
home country.
“Wines are really determined by its soil and the microclimate. A Riesling from the Mosel
isn’t a Riesling from the Rheingau. You have very huge differences between the single regions within Germany.
It’s real interesting to taste the differences,” explains Reule.
Mosel is among the top three largest of Germany’s 13 wine regions, and is the country’s
leading region for international recognition and prestige. Its steep slopes and prime location near the Mosel
River make it ideal for growing grapes used for wine production.
“Absolutely a unique
wine-growing region on the face of the Earth,” says Harry Drung, president of H.H.D.
Imports.
“It’s interesting, because it’s a cooler climate area; the wine only grows on the southern-facing slopes,
because it needs the warmth of the sun to ripen the grapes. The soil, it’s a very unique slate — it gives the
wine some unique taste, some nice acidity, a minerality… a crispness, a really unique, refreshing taste to
the wine.”
As a leading importer of
international wines, H.H.D.
Imports works with 17 German wine producers including Schmitt
Söhne, a
German wine company that has become increasingly popular in the North American markets with its line of Relax
wines.
“Over the years,
[Schmitt
Söhne]
realized that there was a good demand for German wines, especially Riesling, because that’s the specialty,”
says Drung. “They have realized over a number of years that one thing that was hampering German wine sales
was the complicated names, village names — I call them Teutonic tongue-twisters. They just decided to
simplify things.”
Among Relax Cool Red and Relax Rosé is Relax Riesling, a fresh, crisp style of wine
produced from grapes from the Mosel Valley. The wine comes enclosed in an eye-catching cobalt blue bottle,
which stands out from its competition in the wine market. The wine, which boasts the catchy slogan “Chill and
unwind,” has garnered international awards, which can be attributed to the wine’s name, attractive packaging,
clever marketing, as well as its unique taste.
“They came up with the
Relax brand name, and it’s the perfect brand name because when you think, what do you do at the end of the
day, on the patio or weekend or when you go out with friends? You relax with a glass of wine. The brand name
has got a real appeal to it. The packaging is very appealing too… it’s really modern and stands out,” he
says.
After being on the market
for only four years, Relax Riesling is ranked as the second-highest Riesling, behind Deinhard Green Label
Riesling, according to the LCBO. Deinhard, which is another top German Riesling producer, has been in the
Canadian market since 1990. Schmitt
Söhne became available in the Canadian market just four years
ago.
“It’s not just a pretty
bottle with ordinary wine. It’s a pretty bottle, with a catchy brand name and really good quality in the
bottle,” says Drung.
Riesling is a popular
choice for food pairings. The versatility inherited by the white wine’s balance of fruitiness and acidity
allows it to work with a wide range of food, including the difficult-to-pair spicy foods. The lower alcohol
content in German Riesling makes it ideal for the hot summer months ahead.
“A nice white wine with
good acidity, with a little bit of residual sweetness to it, actually cools the palate,” he says. “It keeps
your palate refreshed and always enjoying the sensation of food that you’re enjoying it with.”
•
Photo
Courtesy: H.H.D.
Imports
