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Dry or Sweet Riesling? The Simple & Complete Guide

Riesling from Alsace, Germany or even Australia: this grape variety is a true chameleon. It can produce ultra-dry wines, straight as arrows, but also sweet cuvées, even dessert wines or even ice wine.

Not always easy to navigate... So, how to know if a Riesling is dry or sweet ?
Follow the guide!

Riesling: a grape variety with multiple faces

Riesling is one of the most expressive grape varieties in the world. It can produce wines:

  • Very dry, tense, lemony, mineral
  • Off-dry, fruity and balanced
  • Sweet, with indulgent sweetness
  • Dessert wines, in late harvest, noble rot selections or ice wines

Everything depends on:

  • The region (Alsace, Germany, Australia...)
  • The winemaker's style
  • The grape's maturity
  • And especially... the residual sugar

What is residual sugar?

Residual sugar is the natural sugar from the grape that has not been transformed into alcohol during fermentation. It is expressed in grams per liter (g/L).

Here's a simple reading grid:

  • Dry: < 4 g/L
  • Off-dry: 4 to 12 g/L
  • Sweet: 12 to 45 g/L
  • Dessert wine: > 45 g/L

But beware: the sugar/acidity balance also plays a major role in the perception of sweetness!
And in terms of acidity, Riesling knows a thing or two!

Grape maturity: the key to sweet (or dessert) Rieslings

This is one of the most fascinating elements of Riesling: the longer you let the grape ripen on the vine, the more it concentrates sugar. This gives birth to naturally sweeter styles... even exceptional ones.

  • Late harvest: grapes are harvested well after their classic maturity. Result? Natural sugar concentration and beautiful aromatic richness.
  • Noble rot: affected by botrytis (the "noble rot"), grapes partially dehydrate, which intensifies sugar and aroma concentration. Perfect for great dessert wines.
  • Ice wine (Eiswein): grapes are picked frozen, often in the middle of the night, and pressed while frozen. The must is then ultra-concentrated, producing spectacular wines that are simultaneously sweet, acidic and pure.

This flexibility of Riesling at all stages of maturity makes it a unique grape variety... and formidably versatile!

Riesling by region: what style according to country?

Germany: the homeland of Riesling
Germany is the world's largest Riesling producer and offers the full range of styles, from dry (Trocken) to dessert wine (Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein).

Alsace: rather dry, but not only!
Alsace produces mainly dry, lively and straight Rieslings. We also find Late Harvest or Noble Rot Selections : necessarily sweet wines.

Austria: dry or dessert wine
Austrian Rieslings are often dry, tense and mineral, particularly in Wachau or Kamptal. But we also find sweet or dessert wines made from overripe grapes.

Australia: purity and tension
Clare Valley and Eden Valley are the high places of dry Riesling. Lime, minerality, sharp acidity... Australian Rieslings are among the straightest in the world.

New Zealand & 🇺🇸 United States (Finger Lakes): fruity
They produce Rieslings that are often fruity and slightly sweet, with a beautiful sugar/acidity balance. Perfect for those who like sweetness without heaviness.

China: the emergence
In the Ningxia region, certain producers like Mulando create dry Rieslings that are simultaneously precise, lemony and mineral. Proof that China is starting to play in the big leagues.

Dry Riesling: purity, tension, minerality

A dry Riesling is:

  • Little or no residual sugar
  • Aromas of citrus, white flowers, sometimes gunflint
  • Beautiful, refreshing acidity

Ideal with seafood, lightly spiced Asian dishes or hard cheeses.

Some examples:

  • Dry Alsace Riesling
  • German "Trocken" Riesling
  • Australian Riesling (Clare Valley, Eden Valley)

Sweet Riesling: sweetness and indulgence

A sweet Riesling contains more residual sugar. This gives it:

  • A round texture
  • Aromas of exotic fruits, honey, sometimes quince or candied apricot
  • A subtle balance between sugar and acidity

Perfect as an aperitif, with a fruit tart, foie gras or creamy curry chicken.

Some references:

  • Late Harvest / Noble Rot from Alsace
  • German Riesling Kabinett, Spätlese or Auslese
  • Eiswein / Ice wine

How to know if a Riesling is dry or sweet?

Check the label:

  • In Alsace, more and more winemakers indicate "Sec" (Dry), "Moelleux" (Sweet) or "Demi-sec" (Off-dry). Late Harvest or Noble Rot mentions always indicate a sweet wine.
  • In Germany, rely on mentions like "Trocken" (dry), "Halbtrocken" (off-dry), "Spätlese" (often sweet), etc.

Vinodelice tip : if you have doubts, look at the alcohol level. A Riesling at 11% or less often has residual sugar. Above 12%, it's probably dry.

Our selection of dry Rieslings at Vinodelice

At Vinodelice, we love precise, fresh, straight Rieslings : everything the grape variety can offer at its most vibrant.

Here are three gems to discover:

Summary

Style | Sugar level | Aromas | Pairings Dry | 0-4 g/L | Citrus, flowers, mineral | Seafood, Thai cuisine, cheese Sweet | 12-45 g/L | Honey, candied fruits, quince | Aperitif, desserts, foie gras Dessert wine / Ice wine | >45 g/L | Candied fruits, spices, botrytis | Fruit tart, Roquefort, refined dessert

Don't choose your Riesling randomly anymore! Dry or sweet, this grape variety has a thousand faces and always just as much charm.

And if you hesitate? Start with a dry Riesling: it's more versatile... and might make you want to discover the whole palette!
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