Ask a group of sommeliers to name their favorite wine region and most will say Burgundy. But ask them to pick a single favorite grape varietal, and we’d put some money on Riesling. Aside from its excellent food friendliness, Riesling communicates terroir with as much honesty and precision as any other grape.
We’re excited to introduce two new Rieslings today, both from our newest winemaker, the Weingut Salomon-Undhof. Based in Austria’s northeastern corner, the Salomon family has farmed vines since 1792, and the country’s preeminent wine guide calls them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”
Grüner Veltliner may be the classic grape from Austria (and indeed Salomon’s is excellent), but we’re just as excited about these two new Rieslings.
The first is a classic — the 2016 Terrassen Riesling is bright and dry and crisp. The nose shows green apple and notes of stones and grape skins. The mouth is light and refreshing, with pleasant dry fruit and excellent freshness. For a summer fish from the grill or a stir fry with some spice, this will pair with ease.
The second Riesling is a bit more serious: Salomon’s 2015 Undhof Kögl Riesling Erste Lage is more substantial. It’s still quite dry in the mouth but with volume and richness usually found in far more expensive wines. This shows the refined side of Riesling, with a floral nose of gardenia and straw, and an intense stony mouth with an exceptionally long finish. This will pair beautifully with scallops or even a creamy pasta dish — there’s enough acidity to match up to food, but a dense complexity that might steal the show from whatever you’re cooking.
With summer heat settling in, we think both are candidates for your go-to summer white. They’ll match just about anything you can throw at them.
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