It’s the Summer of Riesling

Drink Up

Sommeliers love riesling. The white grape is grown mostly in Germany and Austria as well as Australia and Oregon and might be one of the most misunderstood. Yes, riesling can be sweet, but it can also be complex, dry, and racy, a perfect wine for a hot summer, one that goes well with spicy, fatty foods.

Clint Sloan, sommelier at McCrady’s and Husk, remembers his conversion from skeptic to believer. “The best pairing I ever had was at Carolina’s. I was eating a cheeseburger with a Riesling Spatlese ’06, and it was remarkable. The fat of the burger and the sweet of the wine played off each other perfectly.”

He also remembers feasting on spicy Thai food at the legendary Lotus of Siam in Vegas and being amazed at how great the riesling went with it.

“There are three reasons riesling goes well with food,” says Sloan. “One, it has a high acidity. Two, it has low alcohol. And three, it has high aromatics.”

charlestoncitypaper.com

July 1, 2011