Riesling is actually a type of grape which grows best in the Rhine and the Mosel river valleys in Germany and in California but is also grown in Colorado, the Alsace region of France, in New Zealand, Austria, Canada and Australia. The Riesling is a difficult grape to grow due to the fact that they ripen so late and they don't produce in large quantities. The later they are allowed to ripen on the vine the sweeter the grape will be, which is reflected in the taste of the wine.

Also, Riesling grapes are highly influenced by the area they are grown in. The German grape is tart and has a more citrus like flavor and the California grape is dry and has a melon like flavor. The Riesling wine is one of the more versatile wines, in that it can be either a dry or sweet wine and can be either light or full bodied and it goes well with whatever food you are serving from appetizers to desserts. A good Riesling wine will even go well with the spicy foods of the Asian, Mexican and Moroccan diets.

The labeling on German imported Riesling wine has sometimes been misunderstood by persons here in the United States who are lovers of wine. A classic Riesling wine is bone dry and does not have the sweet edge that most imported Riesling wines have. Riesling wine is a white wine that is low in alcohol, goes well with just about everything and even some of the world's leading wine experts choose Riesling wine as their personal favorite.