RIESLING

Riesling is the most misunderstood grape in the shop. Half the people who say they do not like it are thinking of one sweet bottle they had fifteen years ago; the other half do not realise that the crisp, bone-dry white they have been ordering all summer is often Riesling too. It is a grape that runs the entire sweetness scale — from steely and mineral to honeyed and dessert-rich — and the label almost always tells you where a bottle sits if you know what to look for.

Dry, off-dry, or sweet?

The easiest tell is origin. Washington State and Oregon Rieslings tend to land off-dry: fruit-forward, balanced, easy. Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling ($14.99) is the benchmark here — Columbia Valley, lime and white peach, dry enough for dinner and cheap enough for a Tuesday. A To Z Riesling ($19.99) comes out of Oregon a shade drier and more mineral, and it is the bottle to hand someone who insists they only drink Sauvignon Blanc.

German Riesling is where the grape gets serious. Dr Loosen Dr L Riesling ($16.09) is Mosel at its most accessible: low alcohol, racing acidity, a touch of residual sugar that reads as fruit rather than sweetness. For something genuinely sweet — the dessert end of the scale — Dr. Hans Vonmuller Riesling Auslese ($13.99) is an Auslese, made from late-harvested grapes and best poured cold alongside fruit tart or a strong blue cheese.

And for everyday drinking, Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling ($14.99) is the most-sold Riesling in America for a reason: consistent, slightly off-dry, and about as food-friendly as white wine gets. Barefoot Cellars Riesling ($7.99) covers the same ground for under ten dollars, and Castle Hill Riesling ($9.09) is the quiet value pick on the shelf.

Serving and pairing

Serve Riesling colder than you think — 43-48°F — but not straight from the back of the fridge, which mutes the aromatics. Pull it out ten minutes before you pour.

The pairing rule that never fails: Riesling loves heat and salt. Thai and Sichuan food, Indian curry, Korean fried chicken, anything with chilli in it — the touch of sweetness in an off-dry bottle cools the burn in a way that a dry white simply cannot. It is also the classic partner for pork, smoked ham, and almost any cheese board. Dry styles handle shellfish and roast chicken as capably as any white wine in the shop.

Where to go next

If you like the crisp, dry end of Riesling, our Pinot Grigio shelf is the natural next stop. If you found yourself drawn to the sweeter bottles, try Moscato — a different grape entirely, but the same easy-drinking appeal. And the best sellers collection is where to look if you just want the bottles other people keep reordering.