The Best Riesling Pairing

To true fans, Riesling wines are among the best wines in the world today. A good riesling pairing isn’t hard to find since the tasting notes go with so many different foods. Riesling seems to be growing in popularity each day. 

How Are Rieslings Made?

These wines are made from Riesling grapes, one of the most delicate grapes in the world. They require extra care during harvest. Crushing or bruising the skin of these grapes is far too easy, and that releases tannins into the juice, which makes the wine bitter. 

During the process of creating riesling, both the grapes and the juice are chilled right after harvest to help preserve the delicate flavors you’ll find inside. Even during the fermentation process, this wine is kept fairly cool - usually between 50 - 65 degrees - which can make it tart and acidic. That adds to the bright vibrance this wine so often displays. 

Once fermented, the wine is usually put through cold stabilization and stored just above the point of freezing. That helps precipitate the potassium bitartrate, which prevents crystallization. Once that process is complete, the wine is sterile filtered, then bottled. 

The Best Riesling Pairing

Rieslings work well with many different dishes, and each person has their own favorite riesling pairing. Here are some good ones: 

• Seafood: This type of wine pairs very well with both salmon and trout or any other raw, cured, or smoked fish. It is a popular pairing with sushi. Riesling wines are ideal with fresh and lightly dressed shellfish - like prawn cocktails - as well as oysters. 
• Cream-Based Sauces: Many people turn to chardonnay for cream sauces, but a Riesling can usually offer a contrast to the dish you won’t get with a chardonnay. They’re even better with fish dishes that include a creamy sauce. 
• Pork: Fatty cuts of pork are an ideal riesling pairing, particularly if the dish includes an apple.
• Spicy Foods: Surprisingly, many spicy dishes go well with dry riesling varieties, even Thai and Indian foods. Typically those hotter dishes tend to bring out the sweet notes in good wine, making spicy food an excellent riesling pairing.
• Vegetables: Should you choose to serve a riesling with a vegetable-based dish, you’ll want to go with those that have naturally sweet notes like red onions, bell peppers, and eggplant. They also work well with squash and carrot-based dishes. 

Riesling pairing isn’t too complicated, and at Pacific Rim, our selection of Rieslings makes it easy to get the perfect pair. Take a closer look at our options now.