TOAST THE SUMMER with a chilled glass of wine at Thailand’s first “Summer of Riesling” event being held at Riedel Wine Bar and Cellar on Thursday and featuring spectacular wines from various estates from Germany and Alsace in France.
Created by sommelier and restaurant owner Paul Grieco back in 2008, the “Summer of Riesling” aims to introduce wine drinkers to different styles of Rieslings and help them find their own “Riesling style” among the many different varietals on offer.
“Riesling is the ultimate summer wine because it’s refreshing,” says one of the organisers of the Bangkok event.
“This is because it’s delicate, moderate in alcohol, unwooded, with crisp acidity and complex aromas. It can be served very cold, out of the fridge, whereas some white wines such as Chardonnay don’t taste at their best when they are served too cold. Moreover, Riesling suits the hot climate and matches the Thai cuisine very well. Its high acidity can adapt to the powerful Thai flavours. The cool serving temperature of Riesling and its varying sugar levels can soothe the heat found in most Thai dishes.”
The perfumed grape varietal is believed to have originated in Germany’s Rhine region. Used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling white wines, Riesling is one of the few grapes that can produce wines in the complete sweetness range, from totally dry to extremely sweet, or anything in between, and still maintain its distinctive fruit character and fine structure.
And because of Riesling’s bright, pure fruit and elegantly poised structure, it has no need for the cosmetic enhancements of new oak, malolactic fermentation or high alcohol. The best Rieslings are only pure fruit, vinified as simply as possible to reveal the true character of the vineyard. Typical fruit flavours in a cool-climate Riesling can range from citrus and green apple to peach, apricot, mango and guava. Some Rieslings have a little bit of everything, drenching your palate with layers and layers of fruity delight.
On Thursday wine lovers will get to taste over 20 labels of Riesling from Germany and Alsace such as Van Volxem, St. Urbanshof, Diel, Donnhoff, Leitz, Dreissigacker, Friedrich Becker, Pauly, Egon Muller and Keller. All served in Riesling-specific Riedel “Veritas” wine glasses, guests can also relish artisan canapes, Riesling blind tasting challenges and enjoy the stunning surroundings of the newly opened Riedel Wine Bar & Cellar.
Three wine talks will be held throughout the month with experienced sommeliers and experts discussing different themes. On May 19, the talk will be about “pradikat levels” – the German wine classification system and is recommended for those with an intermediate level of knowledge about wine. It’s priced at Bt2,000 per person.
On May 23, those with a little more experience can join the advanced level talk on Grand Cru sites and learn more about the regional wine classification and its significance. It costs Bt2,500 a head The last wine talk session is on May 31. The “Treasure Chamber: The Jewels of Germany” session, which is priced at Bt3,000, takes you to Germany’s finest estates to explore some of the best wines of the world.
Not sure if you’ll like Riesling? Head to the cellar and explore the varying world of Riesling with eight different wines served by the glass in three pouring sizes – 30ml, 75ml and 150ml – throughout this month.
Bangkok Summer of Riesling is on Thursday from 6 to 9pm at Riedel Wine Bar and Cellar at the second level of Gaysorn Shopping Centre. It costs Bt1,800 per person. Call (02) 656 1133.
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.