I've been particularly enjoying Rieslings from Oregon and Washington, of late; most notably the Hogue 2007, the Ste. Michelle 2007, and Columbia Winery's 2007 Cellarmaster's Reserve. Riesling, as you probably know, is a very sweet grape, and tends to make sweet wines. Many Rieslings are largely served as dessert wines. The Pacific Northwest climate, with its cool nights, and the soil conditions of eastern Washington, and the Columbia valley, grow particularly fine Riesling grapes. I started looking at Rieslings in particular because my mom, after seven years in Germany, developed a fondness for them, and the same climate conditions that make Rieslings flourish in Germany's Rhine and the Alsace apply to Oregon and Washington, especially the Columbia valley.

The Riesling grape is an old variety, popular in medieval Europe, and, according to DNA research by Ferdinand Regner, Riesling is likely descended from an old grape known as Gouais Blanc, or in German Weißer Heunisch. Vines were brought to Burgundy from Croatia by the Romans. Another parent is a cross between a wild vine and Traminer, which suggests to wine historians that Riesling was a Rhine development. Nineteenth century German emigrants brought traditional Johannisberg Riesling vines to New York, California, and Washington, and they've flourished ever since.

I suppose, if I had to choose between the Rieslings I've tried so far, I'd pick Columbia Winery's 2007 Cellarmaster's Reserve, but I've not had a bad Pacific Northwest Riesling yet— and I'm finding I like both the dry varieties, like the Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Dry Riesling, as well as the sweeter variants. That said, I'm curious about some of the Rieslings from outside the Columbia valley, and found an interesting list of Riesling recommendations to try.

I'm also curious about the German tradition of Eiswein, or "ice wine," in which the grapes are harvest very late, long past when they would usually be picked, in order for the water to evaporate via freezing. That means that the juice from the pressed grapes is richer, and much more saturated with sugar, producing a sweeter "dessert" wine. Pacific Rim Winery, rather than freezing the grapes on the vine in the traditional fashion, picks Riesling grapes then freezes them, pressing the grapes while they are still frozen, to produce Riesling Selenium Vineyard Vin De Glaciere. Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2006 was able to make a traditional ice wine, producing Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Eroica Riesling Ice Wine, which, while it sounds lovely (it's one of five times in a forty year history that the winery has had the right conditions for ice wine), seems to run around $75.00 a bottle.

I think I'll have to wait for another opportune late harvest freeze.