RIESLING FACILITATOR GUIDE AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED EDUCATION PROGRAM The comprehensive, free education program providing information, tools and resources to discover Australian wine. To access course presentation, videos and tasting tools, as well as other programs, visit Wine Australia www.australianwinediscovered.com supports the responsible service of alcohol. For enquiries, email [email protected] RIESLING , Wines by KT, Clare Valley Clare KT, by , Wines AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED Kerri Thompson Kerri Australia’s unique climate and landscape have fostered a fiercely independent wine scene, home to a vibrant community of growers, winemakers, viticulturists, and vignerons. With more than 100 grape varieties grown across 65 distinct wine regions, we have the freedom to make exceptional wine, and to do it our own way. We’re not beholden by tradition, but continue to push the boundaries in the pursuit of the most diverse, thrilling wines in the world. That’s just our way. Riesling / Faciltator guide One of Australia’s premier white grape varieties, Riesling is a delicate, expressive and versatile variety that benefits from a minimalist winemaking approach. Australia is home to some of the world’s oldest Riesling vines and a leading global producer. RIESLING: MINIMAL- INTERVENTION MASTERY VIDEO RIESLING: Now is a great time to play the Riesling MINIMAL-INTERVENTION loop video in the background, as you MASTERY welcome people. Crisp, citrusy Riesling is a delicate beauty, shining most brightly when handled with a light touch. It has a long history in Australia, but like Riesling from around the world, its FIRST TASTE journey has had its highs and lows. Australian stalwart: THIS MAY BE A GOOD Riesling was one of the original varieties OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE planted, and from humble beginnings as a EVERYONE A TASTE OF A workhorse grape it has grown into one of CLASSIC RIESLING. THE our most renowned varieties – despite being misunderstood at times. Some of Australia’s FULL TASTING COMES most admired winemakers are known for LATER IN THE PROGRAM. making great Riesling. Leading global producer: Australia is one of the world’s top Riesling producers with production figures similar to the United States and higher than France (Germany takes the top spot). South Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys are famous for producing some of the best Riesling / Faciltator guide DID YOU KNOW examples in the world. It’s today grown in 40 of 65 of Australia’s wine regions. It’s rare to find a Riesling produced Pure expression: in Australia that’s not bottled under Riesling is a delicate, expressive and screw cap. versatile variety that benefits from a minimalist winemaking approach. Australian winemakers are exploring both new and ancient techniques that capture the purity of Riesling’s inherent character while producing multifaceted wines. Complexity over time: This noble variety produces some of Australia’s most age-worthy white wines, easily cellared for decades thanks to their high acidity and bright fruit characters. Bittersweet reputation: Riesling has battled misconceptions that it’s a sweet wine, requiring it to be finer in quality and lower in price than its peers in order to overcome this perception. Today, however, its reputation is on the rise as people discover – or rediscover – the aromatic charms of this exciting variety. Riesling / Faciltator guide TO DAY - The history of Riesling in Australia - How it’s grown WE’LL - How it’s made - Where it’s grown - Common styles - Characteristics and flavour profiles COVER… Riesling / Faciltator guide THE HISTORY OF RIESLING IN AUSTRALIA MID- 1800s Riesling is highly regarded and in demand, becoming synonymous with ‘dry white wine’. 1800s 1930s First recorded as being imported by William Macarthur in New technology makes its 1837. Riesling is embraced by way into the Australian wine German, Polish and Czech community. Refrigeration is settlers and soon finds a home used to cool fermentation in the Clare Valley, Eden Valley, temperatures, helping to Tasmania, Victoria, Mudgee and preserve Riesling’s delicate Western Australia. aromatics. 1960s 1990s Riesling becomes Chardonnay’s surge in Australia’s leading variety popularity coincides in the white wine boom with Riesling’s decline of the late 1960s and from being Australia’s 1970s, despite a common most popular white misconception that it’s wine. always sweet. 1970S 1950s & 1980S TO DAY Australian Riesling is further The mislabelling of Riesling Riesling is one of Australia's revolutionised when Colin Gramp wines is corrected and Riesling most important grape uses cold-pressure fermentation shakes off its image as a sweet varieties – and its reputation to prevent the escape of carbon wine. Many famous Australian is once again soaring. dioxide and control fermentation wine companies include dry temperatures. Riesling in their ranges. Riesling / Faciltator guide THE HISTORY OF RIESLING RIESLING REVOLUTION IN AUSTRALIA 1930s IN THE BEGINNING In the early days of Australia’s commercial Early 1800s wine endeavours, the demand for fresh, clean wines over sweeter fortified wines Riesling has a long history in Australia, called for a new approach to winemaking. potentially arriving with the James Busby New technology began making its way into collection in 1833. It’s officially first recorded the Australian wine community in the early as being imported into Australia in 1837 1930s when key figures like Alfred Basedow by William Macarthur, with plantings at and Rudi Kronberger pioneered the use Camden Park. of refrigeration to control fermentation Riesling soon found a home in areas of temperatures in Australia – something that Australia that would become known for is now commonplace. producing classic wines: Clare Valley, Eden 1950s Valley, Tasmania, parts of Victoria including Australian Riesling was further revolutionised Henty and the Grampians, Mudgee and the in the 1950s, when Colin Gramp pioneered Great Southern region. It was embraced the use of cold-pressure fermentation to by settlers from Silesia (a historical region prevent the escape of carbon dioxide and in Central Europe divided by the current control fermentation temperatures. boundaries of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic) who were among the first Gramp’s 1953 Riesling, which was made to start making Riesling in Barossa. using this innovative method, was highly awarded and kickstarted the popularity of In 1837 at the age of 18, Johann Gramp the clean, clear style with a succession of left Germany and headed for the new award-winning vintages. British colony of South Australia. He spent time on Kangaroo Island and in Adelaide 1960s before moving to the Barossa Valley in In 1961 after years of neglect, the then-owner 1840. Johann settled on the bank of Jacob’s of Pewsey Vale, Geoff Angas Parsons, visited Creek, planting a small vineyard in 1847 after his friend Wyndham Hill-Smith of Yalumba recognising that the Barossa Valley was and proposed they restore the vineyard perfectly suited to vines. entirely to Riesling. Vines were replanted on the contoured Eden Valley slopes. Johann sent word back to Germany for cuttings of Riesling to be sent to the At a similar time, legendary Riesling emerging wine region. The variety would winemaker John Vickery created a crisp, soon become a classic Australian variety tangy style of Eden Valley Riesling under the and a signature wine for Jacob’s Creek. Leo Buring Label (bottled as ‘Rhine Riesling’). Mid-1800s Given sweet Rieslings were the trend at the time, this drier style was reflective of the By 1850, Eden Valley pioneer Joseph Gilbert shift to come. had planted Riesling in an area of the Barossa Ranges that would become known A BITTER-SWEET REPUTATION as Pewsey Vale, one of Australia’s first high- altitude, cool-climate vineyards. 1970s and 1980s The public’s perception – or misconception – Riesling was highly regarded and in demand, of Riesling being sweet affected its progress becoming synonymous with ‘dry white wine’. all over the world. In the 60s, 70s and 80s many sweeter Australian white wines containing various grape varieties were mislabelled as Riesling due to the variety’s popularity. Despite potential confusion, Riesling / Faciltator guide Riesling became Australia’s leading variety SUGGESTED in the white wine boom of the late 1960s DISCUSSION POINTS and 1970s. – How have broader wine- By the early 1990s, thanks to concerted consumption trends over the past efforts from key producers across Australia, decades influenced Riesling and its Riesling began to shake off its image as popularity? a sweet wine. Many large Australian wine – Why were major technological companies included dry Riesling in their advances such as refrigeration ranges – Seaview, Hardys, Lindeman’s and cold-pressure fermentation and Seppelt to name a few joining more more significant in the evolution boutique producers like Grosset and of Riesling than in other varieties? Crawford River. Until the Chardonnay boom struck in the 1980s, Riesling was Australia’s most widely planted white wine grape. Chardonnay’s surge in popularity coincided with, or likely played a part in causing, Riesling’s decline from its top spot as Australia’s most popular white wine. THE RIESLING REVIVAL Today Despite being somewhat misunderstood at times, today Riesling is one of the country’s most important grape varieties – and its reputation is on the rise. The variety thrives in cooler climates such as Eden Valley, Tasmania and Great Southern, as well as the warmer climate of Clare Valley – which benefits from elevation and diurnal temperature variation – to produce world- class examples of this cellar-worthy, food- friendly wine. Riesling / Faciltator guide VITICULTURE: HOW RIESLING IS GROWN Riesling is highly expressive of grape and terroir, showcasing the grapegrower’s skill. - Grows best in climates with cool nights and a long ripening season - Thrives in a wide variety of soil types - Small and compact grape clusters susceptible to disease - Produces better quality wine when yields are kept low VITICULTURE: HOW RIESLING acidity and fragrant aromatics.