March Michigan Wine Pour: Northern Michigan Dry Riesling

Rieslings of all varieties thrive in northern wineries and this month Tim Tebeau takes a look at the excellent dry Rieslings offered at Northern Michigan wineries.

Mar 23, 2010 Tim Tebeau

Riesling. This complex and cold-hardy German varietal, the stuff of youthful hangovers and wine-geek reverence, has put Michigan winemaking on the map and runs the spectrum from racy and dry to thick and sweet. This month we examine the dry side of local riesling, where little or no residual sugar remains in the wine, and its zippy tartaric acids titillate our saliva glands. The uncommon equilibrium found in the relationship between riesling’s sugar and acidity make it an ideal pairing for foods historically not considered wine-friendly, such as Indian, Southeast Asian and Latin American cuisine. Dry riesling will rock your world as well as your kung pao, chicken curry or chorizo.

2007 Peninsula Cellars Dry Riesling $15

This banner vintage produced a wine with rich apple and white peach flavors, briny mineral undertones and a long, crisp finish. peninsulacellars.com/

2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Riesling $16.50

Black Star touts the 2008 for showcasing gooseberry, floral and lime character. blackstarfarms.com/

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2008 Left Foot Charley Riesling MD $15

LFC advertises chin drenching peach sweetness followed by a clean acid finish, and it’s hard to improve on that. leftfootcharley.com/

2007 Brys Estate Dry Riesling $17

Angular and lean with complex mineral layers and persistent citrus flavor, Brys delivers a compelling example of 2007’s perfect growing conditions. brysestate.com/

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Whole Cluster Riesling $14

Produced from hand-picked clusters that are pressed whole, this wine leans on its texture and exuberant stone fruit aromas. cgtwines.com/

Wine Tips, Tours and Travel in Traverse City, Old Mission and Leelanau

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