History

Riesling
A Concise History

Complied by Gunter Prass and Wolf Blass.
Presented by Wolf Blass to the Hyatt National Riesling Challenge 2002
Edited by Ken Helm

Introduction

Rhine Riesling – Riesling is one of the classic white grape varieties of the world and its wine deserves its place as one of the exquisite pearls in the necklace of wines.

Over the centuries/decades it had an illustrious career, but in the latter years it has lost its shine and the wine lover world-wide took to Chardonnay as the preferred white wine.

(This variety appears to be heading into longer term supply/demand balance, although there are still some short term supply shortages in some regions. Although 40% of Chardonnay is sourced from winery-owned vineyards, there is some dispute as to whether it was in undersupply or in balance in 1996. There is a danger of Chardonnay getting out of hand as it did in 1989. The consequences of that time were harmful to the industry.)

One could write a doctorate / thesis about the decline of Riesling world-wide and why Riesling has become out of fashion commencing in the middle of the 20th Century just after the war.

American occupation troops in Germany were partially responsible for changing the production method from the dry style product to a level of sweetness mostly to high residual sugar, not balanced, different grape variety was used, doubtful quality, low extract, high grape yield. Riesling’s image became generic in the commercial sense. Leibraumilch, Black Tower and wine scandals in Germany and Europe. Yugoslavia followed the trend, Austria, United States, Africa and Australia.

However we are here to talk about the uniqueness of the Riesling grape and its prospect of coming back.

History & Origin

The origin of Riesling is clouded in mystery – some wine historians believe it originated from the Mosel in Germany and is a selection from a native German vine. The first documentary evidence appears in 1435 and links Kloster Eberbach – a monastery in the Rheingau with the making of Riesling wines. This is supported by Stuart Pigott who notes that the earliest reliable records are from an invoice written by the estate manager of Count von Katezenellenbogen for Rielsing grapes to be planted in his vineyard at Russelsheim on the Main near Rheingau in 1435.

The fact is that one should be eternally thankful to the Roman officers who imported the wine to Colonia. One could call this the victory trail of Riesling across Europe. From Germany Riesling emigrated to the surrounding grape growing countries which included Italy, Austria and Hungary. Eventually the new world wine countries adopted the wine including California, South Africa and Australia.

Like any gem, Riesling had and still has many imitators, such as Welschriesling, Schwarzriesling, Grey Riesling, Clare Riesling, Shepherds Riesling, Hunter River Riesling. Wines made from these mis-named grape varieties have absolutely no resemblance to the proper Riesling.

From the mid-seventies the demand for Riesling went into decline world-wide and Chardonnay took over as the preferred white wine. Chardonnay has become and still is the passport of most non-consumers for their entry into the world of wine.

With the demand of Chardonnay in particular in Australia, wooded and unwooded, and an increased production capacity of 370,000 tonnes vs Riesling of 40,000 tonnes, the challenge is now open for Riesling to replace in the future the unwooded Chardonnay variety.

Globally, particularly in Australia and USA, Chardonnay will become a generic style wine and its reputation will become very commercial with the appearance of Chardonnay a la chateau carton will open the window to the great aromatic Riesling variety which will be protected by the new wine label law since 2000 that it has to become 100% varietal and industry should have a charter to set standards regarding quality description on the label.

Riesling in the World Scene of Wine

Riesling and Germany are synonymous when a wine conversation turns to white wines. Today the major regions of Riesling cultivation are the Mosel, the Rheingau and of course Alsace.

Despite the difficult times for Riesling wines, the high quality estate producers in the top regions of Germany have no difficulties selling their wines and the Alsace wines in Paris are as popular as ever in France. If nothing else it proves again that quality reigns supreme.

In northern Europe the selection of site is essential and the concept of terroir – a French word which has no English equivalent – covers the siting of the vineyard, its aspect (which way does it face), the slope of the land, the temperature, rainfall, wind, frost, soil drainage, and all other factors. It is essential for Riesling to have plenty of sunshine in order to obtain the fruity floral aroma which gives the typical lemon limy austere characteristics on the palate. My translation would be the regionality of the vineyard selection which has only come into force in Australia over the last ten years.

The five Fs describe Riesling at its best: Fruity – Floral – Fine – Finesse – Finish

No other white wine can produce such different wine styles:

Dry austere
Late picked wines
Wines from selected bunches
Wines from selected berries
Wines from selected dry berries
Wine of Q.B.A.
Kabinett wines
Spaetlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Trocken Beeren Auslese
& Ice Wines

Riesling in the Australian Mosaic of Wines

According to Dr A C Kelly, Macarthur of Camden imported the Riesling grape variety from the Rheingau / Germany to Australia in 1838. It was noted by Dr. Philip Norrie that Riesling was produced at Prospect Creek near Sydney in the 1840s and legend reports was once enjoyed by Henry Parks and Ludwig Leichhardt. The variety, found it’s way to a number of regions in Australia, notably the Barossa Valley, the Eden Valley and the Clare Valley in South Australia and the latest vintages from the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Canberra are proof of the popularity in cooler regions.

In Victoria, in 1886 Hubert de Castella noted that With age, Australian Riesling augments in bouquet more than any other Australian wines. However he warned To insure this priceless quality, the Australian vigneron must not allow his Riesling to become over ripe. He must gather them when in perfect maturity, but no more. This he can obtain every year; whilst on the Rhine, vignerons are satisfied with one good vintage out of six.

This advice seems to have been forgotten by some winemakers who search for alcohol rather than flavour and delicacy, according to Ken Helm Chair of the Hyatt National Riesling Challenge

In latter years the Mount Barker district in Western Australia and Central Victoria have also developed a reputation for Riesling wines.

The vine is hardy, frost and drought resistant, bearing small berries and bunches of fine aroma. As discussed earlier, site selection is important as warm to hot climatic conditions cause loss of delicateness and scent characteristics.

Early in our history this fact was confirmed by a settler, Mr Josef Gilbert, who grew Riesling on the Pewsey Vale slopes of the Barossa Ranges and by the fact that one of the first wines produced in the Barossa Valley by Johann Gramp in the middle 1800s was a hock.

Even in these early days Riesling had its ups and downs. By 1892 grape growers were warned not to plant Riesling grapes, because of very low demand by the winemakers only offer £6/10/- per ton whilst Shiraz grapes fetched up to £9/-/- per ton. What’s new!!

In the years after World War One, with the increasing demand for fortified wines, Riesling wines were fortified and used for blending in tawny ports.

In effect Riesling was of little importance to the Australian Wine Industry until a revolution started back in 1953.

During Vintage 1953 Colin Gramp of Orlando Wines in the Barossa Valley started controlled fermentation of Riesling juice by application of pressure during fermentation combined with cooling the fermenting must. (Reference to Oenologist / Wine Technician = Guenter Prass)

The results were extraordinary, so much so that at the 1955 Adelaide Wine Show, the 1955 Orlando Barossa Riesling won trophy and gold, a six month old wine beating Rieslings matured for 2-3 years.

No doubt these new generation Rhine Rieslings, richer in aroma and taste were the catalyst for winemaking techniques as we know them today – pre clarification of juice, controlled fermentation, prevention of oxidation and early bottling of all white table wines.

The hallmarks of Australian wines today – fruit driven, complexity on the palate, clean in aroma and taste, had their beginning with the Riesling revolution in the mid 1950s. With the high standard of winemaking in place, the focus of the industry is now on viticultural practices – site selection – proper management of vineyard with control of all conditions to grow quality grapes. The marketing of the wine has been helped by the removal of the word Rhine and Riesling being the wine. This coincided with the innovation of the screw cap and the consumer has been presented with a brand new product.

History will prove that the doldrums for this wine style will turn around to delicious fruity mouth-filling Riesling white wines.

Whilst we constantly talk about Chardonnay, Riesling does not need to be manipulated by:

malolactic fermentation and maturation in French, German, Russian, American and Yugoslavian oak
oak toasted in different grades
maturation on lees
use of different yeast culture

You may call it the winemaker’s delight, or nightmare. That is why we have 1000 different Chardonnay flavours.

With Riesling, the ultimate aim of the winemaker must be to maintain aroma, bouquet, and develop the flavour of the grape as given by Mother Nature.

Australia should not follow what the rest of the world does. We should be in a position to reintroduce and be the first new world wine country to put Riesling back into all world export markets and domestic markets. It is the resurgence of a new, sophisticated, classy, austere 21st century Australian phenomenon. The annual Hyatt National Riesling Challenge in Canberra and the biannual Frankland Estate International Riesling Tastings have started promoting Riesling to Australia and the world in recent years.

Here lies the challenge for our young generation of winemakers and marketing gurus to utilise their respective expertise to get the best from the great vintages.

Rieslings… they are wonderful when young and fresh, excellent in acid balance, particularly from the cooler regions. They mature wonderfully and develop very appealing complex characters. To produce great Rieslings, the winemaker needs grapes with very low skin tannins (undesirable phenolics), vintages need to be clean, no disease, no humidity, no rain at the wrong time, vines without stress, modest alcohol levels, 10 – 13ª.

Winemakers pulling the plug on cork in particular the Riesling varieties 7 – 8% cork taint. Cork which costs up to 70 cents a bottle. Taint is commonly known as T.C.A. the full chemical name is TRICHLOROANISOLE is produced by a fungus inside the cork, rotten, wet, Hessian smell.

The great and dynamic approach by the Riesling makers (Clare Valley winemakers) and acceptance by the consumer, the side benefits on quality using screw caps (Stelvin and synthetic closures) are that all bottles mature at the same rate, clean and free of rotten cork taint.

References and further reading:

Kelly A.C., 1861, The vine in Australia
Kelly A.C., 1867, Wine-growing in Australia.
Norrie Philip Dr., 1990, Vineyards of Sydney Cradle of the Australian wine Industry from first settlement to today.
Hurbert de Castella 1886, John Bull’s Vineyard.
Stuart Pigott 1991, Riesling