Riesling

Before I start this post I just want to say that this is all my own work and as such is only my own opinion...

Ever since working on a vineyard in the Pfalz in the summer of 1997, I've had a dislike for German wine, particularly Riesling. I don't want to get too much up myself here, but, for me, the Riesling grape produces some of the worst (white) wines in the world, the lion's share of which originates from Germany. Fact. Forget the sordid pleasures of Napa Chardonnay or the kinky gooseberry of Hawkes Bay Sauvignon, Riesling is the wine we should all avoid.

For decades German wine exports were fighting a losing battle for the hearts and palates of discerning international wine lovers. Drowning under a deluge of mass-produced Blue Nun and Liebfraumilch, Germany's winemakers were unable to shrug off the justified stereotype of German wine being the sweet concoction your Nan got tipsy on every year at Christmas. Something had to change, but nothing did change.

Firstly, some background information. The cause of German wine's fall from grace can be traced back to the German Wine Laws of 1971. Under pressure from the country's powerful Liebfraumilch-producing concerns, the politicians oegfnvnvfmkobvgfmdkmesdlöfgg