MountainRose Vineyard’s Riesling recently won Gold at the 2019 Virginia State Fair. This rounds out medal achievements for Riesling, having also won Silver and Bronze in Virginia Governor’s Cup competitions over the years.
Riesling is a highly aromatic grape variety used to make white wine all over the world. It is a deliciously refreshing wine that tastes like the nectar of apples, apricots, peaches and pears. Usually crisp, due to its high levels of acidity, Riesling is known for its strong floral aromas.
Born in the Rhine wine region of Germany, Riesling was stockpiled in cellars due to its popularity with nobility. It was realized very early on that Riesling was one of the rare white wines that was incredibly age worthy. While most white wine is meant to be drunk very soon after bottling, high-quality Riesling can last and improve in the bottle for over a hundred years.
Riesling is definitely one of the most misunderstood grapes in the entire wine world. The common assumption is that all Rieslings are very sweet, and while many Rieslings have at least a touch of sweetness, Rieslings can be bone dry as well, like MountainRose Vineyard’s award-winning Riesling.