German Riesling

It’s in Germany where Riesling is the lynchpin of the white-wine industry. German wines have not had good press in the last 20 years or so and people often mistake good-quality white wine made from the Riesling grape with German Liebfraumilch, a popular wine 30 years ago (a very 70s wine style) which in fact was made from a grape called Muller Thurgau.

As well as being lower in alcohol (and therefore less fattening) young German Riesling has aromas of honey and lemon backed by a crisp firm acidity. As Riesling ages it will take on kerosene or diesel aromas but the crisp style of citrus fruit remains on the palate.

Aldi offers a great-value wine from Germany made from the Riesling grape. With a very distinctive bottle, this is very much a good-value bargain for wine-drinking, prudent girls!

Thanks to its vibrant fruitiness, this Riesling is balanced with crisp acidity and delivers a really clean finish. So whether you’ve invited the girls around for a Friday night get-together or have the family over for dinner, this refreshing little number from Aldi ticks the box.

By the way, the slightly sweeter Riesling wines are a brilliant match for any type of spicy food. A Thai curry or anything made with chillies or jalapeño peppers will work really well with this wine. Great value for those watching the pennies.

Aldi’s own-label ‘ANYTHING goes’ German Riesling RRP €5.99

Stockists: Aldi supermarkets nationwide

For details of consumer wine events coming up in October go to the wine diary at www.jeansmullen.com. Check for details of an excellent Bordeaux wine tasting in Dublin on Monday October 12^th 2009.