- When someone asks me what I think is the best “All Purpose Wine” I laugh and give them my best answer “Riesling”. It may sound too simple but when you consider the range of styles, producers, regions, and choices from very dry through sweet culminating in excellent dessert wine, the answer is actually a very complex one. This wine is extremely food friendly and you can easily find a Riesling that will pair well with any cuisine. You probably heard the saying “There’s an app for that” and when it comes to food pairings it can be said “There’s a Riesling for that”. Riesling is produced globally by a host of very fine wineries but the frontrunners in quality have always been from the French Alsace Region, Germany and Austria. Australia also markets some nice Riesling but anyone that has followed this blog knows I favor the Finger Lakes Region of New York and their world-class Riesling. I have listed below a few favorites that should give you a good start on your search but there are plenty of others waiting to be discovered .
- Keuka Lake Seneca Lake Cayuga Lake
- Ravines Herman R. Wiemer Swedish Hill
- Dr. Frank’s Three Brothers Knapp
- Heron Hill Belhurst Castle
- Standing Stone
- Lamoreaux Landing
Related articles
- Heron Hill Winery: Finger Lakes Winery Visit (toledowinesandvines.blogspot.com)
- The Sweet Side of Riesling (themodernsomm.wordpress.com)
- Dr. Frank hauls in gold at LA International test (timesunion.com)
- A Celebration of New York Wines (red-wine-diva.com)
wpawinepirate 
Hear, hear! I love your statement: “There is a Riesling for that”….I cannot wait to go and visit the Finger Lakes…
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Thanks! Before you go let me know and I will give more info.
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Will do!
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You should also try out Italian dry Rieslings from the Altp Adige region, if you come across any of them: quite special in my view.
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I have never tried a Riesling from that region but now I am very interested in finding one to try. Thanks, I am always excited about trying something new.
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Great! I agree, even just seeking new wine to try out is generally exciting in itself! 🙂 FYI, Abbazia di Novacella and Elena Walch are two very good producers from that area and they both have great Rieslings in their lineups.
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Thanks for the tip! I hope I can find those wines here in Pennsylvania because it is challenging sometimes to find what you want in the P.L.C.B. stores.
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You are very welcome: I know that for you guys in Pennsylvania purchasing wine can be quite a challenge, unfortunately! Good luck with your hunt! 🙂
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I’ll be visiting Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region in the fall. If I only have time to visit one winery while I’m there, which would you suggest?
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That is a very difficult question because the region has so many great wineries but if I had to pick just one it would be the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in Hammondsport on Keuka Lake. This iconic winery has long been the standard by which all others are judged. When you visit and have the time I would suggest exploring the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.
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Thanks for the suggestions!
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