Riesling sometimes surprises me. When I think about the stuff, I think sweet. I imagine it to be cloying. The perceived overpowering sugar can put me off of its trail in favor of other varietals.

But it can prove to be a subtler grape. I find that when it is referred to on the bottle as “Trocken” Riesling it displays more of its character than the sweetness. Trocken means dry in German. Perhaps the winemaker used the grape itself and not the sugars (that develop in any wine as it is left to ferment long enough) to craft the wine — bringing out the more subtle characteristics of the varietal. I consider the dry Riesling to be the Riesling master spec. (The master spec is a World of Warcraft derived language abstraction — I use it to refer to a specialization that only a master would successfully attempt.)

A shameless plug: Find Trocken Riesling on Snooth.

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