How Sweet It Is…or Isn’t

There’s a certain rhythm to the year for us winos.

Sure, there’s the viticultural year…dormancy, budbreak, flowering, green harvest, veraison, harvest, pruning.

There are the familiar labels that show up in the Vintages release at the same time every year.

Even some issues seem to pop up at the same time, one year to the next. Here’s one of my favourites.

Decanter reports that Olivier Humbrecht, the boss of Zind-Humbrecht, one of the top producers in Alsace and Biodynamic to boot, is calling for a “sweetness code” on the labels of Alsatian wines.

Certainly one of the biggest challenges that both Alsatian and German wines (particularly Rieslings) have is that consumers are never quite sure how sweet a particular wine is. Vinification styles vary widely.

My strong preference is for bone-dry white wines, and I’ve been disappointed with some wines (including from Zind-Humbrecht) that are sweeter (perceived or actual) than I prefer. I know that many other Riesling fans out there have the opposite preference, and have been equally disappointed when an Alsatian or German white wine doesn’t meet their expectations.

Sure, in Ontario, we have the sweetness ratings provided by Vintages/LCBO, but I’ve found that system has its drawbacks, largely because there are other factors (pH levels, acidity) that affect the perception of sweetness in a wine.

So, when I posted about the International Riesling Foundation’s Taste Profile at this time last year, I said that I liked the solution of having the winemaker put a Taste Profile right on the label. Still do. Good for the consumer, good of the producer. An idea whose time has come?













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Brilliant Idea

Ever bought a bottle of Riesling and been surprised that the wine is sweeter than you expected? Or not as sweet? Me too. I can’t think of another varietal that winemakers produce in so many different styles. Some regions, like Germany, have their own classification systems to guide the consumer (although knowledge of German helps). Still, much confusion and disappointment reigns.

Back in 2008, the International Riesling Foundation (yeah, I didn’t know it existed either) launched the “Riesling Taste Profile”. The IRF designed the Tasting Profile to help consumers anticipate the taste of a particular bottle of Riesling. The Riesling Taste Profile consists of “voluntary technical guidelines for wine makers and winery owners in describing their wines for consumers and that may be used on a back label, point-of-sale materials, and elsewhere”. The technical guidelines have benchmarks for residual sugar, acid, and pH. All three elements affect the taste profile of Riesling, which is why relying on only one element, such as the LCBO’s sugar content ratings, can lead you astray. For example, a Riesling with more residual sugar but high acid may well taste drier than one with less sugar and low acid. Measurements for these three elements determine how a winemaker classifies its Riesling on a continuum from Dry to Medium Dry to Medium Sweet to Sweet. Despite the benchmarks, however, a winemaker may still use judgement in how the label describes the wine.

The IRF has members in North America (including Cave Spring Cellars), Europe, South Africa, and Australia. Decanter reports that 12 million cases of US-produced Rieslings now use the Taste Profile.

It’s not perfect, but anything that reduces consumer misperceptions and confusion has my support. Let’s hope more Riesling producers get on board.

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