Working in the Fine Wine department, Bordeaux and Burgundy are the mainstay of my working day and tastings, but when at home, I often turn to something completely different. I am especially fond of the bone dry, kerosene and lime charged Rieslings from the Clare and Eden valleys in South Australia, with my cellar having a few fine examples from the likes of Grosset, Mt Horrocks, Pewsey Vale and KT & The Falcon, as well as the great European classics from producers Trimbach and Donnhoff.

Formerly the King of white wines, Riesling is an under rated grape, with most people put off by bad memories of sweet German wines of the 70’s and 80’s, most of which were not even Riesling in the first place! When in the right hands, either from the New World or its traditional homelands in Germany and Alsace, it can craft a breadth of spectacular wines across the spectrum from bone dry to super sweet Eisweins and TBAs. It is also a wonderful food wine, pairing seamlessly with both the rich, hearty food of Alsace and Fusion food from the Pacific Rim. Off dry styles work brilliantly with the fresh spices of most Asian food which will clash horribly with many other wines.

I urge everyone to give Riesling another chance, especially as there is a style for every palate. Maybe a Mosel Kabinett instead of the ubiquitous Kiwi Sauvignon for a late summer aperitif or a Alsatian Vendage Tardive to go with an early Autumn apple crumble. You won’t be disappointed!

Fergus Stewart – Private Account Manager, Berrys’ Fine Wine Team

Fergus works in the Fine Wine department in our Basingstoke offices, and can be found valiantly sourcing the best wines and offering advice to his customers.

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