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Riesling is a white grape that is so ideally suited to the British Columbia climate.  The resulting wine pairs really well with the local food. 

The dry or Trocken-style BC Riesling is similar to Sauvignon Blanc, so is great with seafood.  Trocken is a bone-dry style of Riesling that’s crisp and fresh with precise and focused fruit and minerals. They can be achingly enjoyable, as the acid seems almost to sear your gums but then coaxes your taste buds to water, releasing an intense wave of fruit.  Their vibrant acidity and minerality can also be terrific with rich dishes flavoured with lime, like Beef Thai Curry.

Off-dry Rieslings work really well with all Asian foods and German food such as Bratwurst sausage and sauerkraut.

Here are 11 excellent value BC Riesling for you to enjoy anytime.

Dry BC Riesling

Gehringer Brothers Private Reserve Dry Riesling 2020 ($13.99)

The 2020 BC Rieslings are fantastic. The low yields have imparted vibrant fruit flavours to the wines.

The Private Reserve Dry Riesling is a result of a specially selected site and exceptional vineyard care. The reduced crop load and intensive leaf canopy management have yielded a positive difference in taste.

Apple blossom and stone fruit aroma. A rich fruit-forward wine with perfectly balanced acidity and rounded mouthfeel with flavours of apple, white peach, tropical fruit, honeycomb, a wet stone mineral backbone and a slightly bitter sour lime finish. A perfect crisp sipper on a hot summer day. 91 Points.

The 2017 vintage won a Double Platinum medal at the 19th Annual Wine Press Northwest Platinum Competition.  The 2018 vintage won a Double Gold at the Indy International Wine Competition.

Township 7 Riesling 2019 ($29.97)

This single-vineyard Riesling is from the Fool’s Gold Estate in North Oliver, which is owned by Mark Antonello, a well-known vineyard manager. The property was planted over 2 decades ago by his father-in-law, Richard Cleave, the Okanagan’s most renowned viticulturist. The western sloping site benefits from the afternoon sun with the sandy clay loam soil containing a lot of rocks and gravel, providing excellent drainage.

The fruit was gently pressed and cold-settled before being fermented cold (10-12°C) in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels. The ferment was long and slow to retain the delicate fruit aromatics. The vibrant acidity ensures the wine will age beautifully in the bottle.

A dry riesling with muted aromas of apple blossom and stone fruit and flavours of Key lime, Meyer lemon, ripe apple, pineapple and apricot. A crisp well-balanced wine with just the right amount of salty minerality on the finish. 91 points

Peak Cellars Riesling 2020 ($24)

Alcohol 12.0% / pH 2.89/ TA 8.32 g/L / RS 7.5 g/L

The Classic Riesling has a vibrant colour with a beautiful green tint. If you love green apples this is the wine for you! On the nose citrus and green apples with floral notes. There are lively flavours of Key limes, green apples, honeydew melon, honeycomb and a hint of marzipan. A full and round texture with a long mineral-like finish. 91 Points.

Moraine Riesling 2018 ($22)

Whole bunch pressed and fermented at cool temperatures.

Clear and light in colour. Packed with aromas of citrus and green apple and light floral notes.  There is an orchard of green apples and citrus on the palate, mainly key limes. A well-balanced juicy mouthfeel with a mineral backbone and a long finish.

To order this excellent wine go to the Moraine Winery Website.

Winemaker’s CUT Bohemian Riesling 2020 ($24)

Chahal vineyard was planted in 2008 North of Oliver. The soil type is sandy loam and gravel.
The Riesling was hand-harvested at an average 21 Brix and a yield of 4.1 tons per acre.
The winemaking used wild and organic yeast fermented for up to 71 days. 22% of the wine was barrel fermented for texture. 10% had skin contact for 14 days to enhance aromatics.

11% alcohol / 3.0 pH / TA 7.0 / RS 7.8 / free SO₂ 10 mg/L / total SO₂ 52

A light and refreshing Riesling. Pale yellow in colour. A wide range of tropical and herbal aromas. Flavours of Granny Smith apple, white peach, apricot, Key lime and Mandarin orange with a hint of stony minerality on the finish. 91 Point.

Dirty Laundry Riesling 2019 ($18.99)

Alcohol % 12.5 | pH 3.31 | TA 8.4 |RS 8

Winemaking – 100% Riesling from Summerland Vineyard. 14 days cool ferment at 12 C to retain fresh aromatic aromas

Aromas of pear, crisp apple and lemon jest. On the palate, Mandarin orange and pineapple with a hint of grapefruit. Balanced sweetness with a beautiful dry finish. 90 Points

It pairs well with ahi tuna tacos, steamed mussels or halibut with mango salsa.

Off-Dry BC Riesling

Harper’s Trail Pioneer Block Riesling 2021 ($22.99)

Alcohol 11.3% | pH 2.76 |TA 10.80 | RS 24.24

A terrific off-dry Riesling with a beautiful golden hue and residual sugar to perfectly balance the acid levels. A complex nose marries aromatic notes of ripe peach, tropical fruit and Earl Grey tea. The palate is intense with flavours of ripe stone fruit, green apple and key lime. An opulent mouthfeel and long finish complete this gem. 5+ year ageing potential. 91 Points

Perfectly paired with Brats and Sauerkraut.

Intrigue Riesling 2018 ($17)

Alcohol 10.3 %| RS 18| pH 2.97 | TA 7.85

The  Intrigue Riesling was selected from the Two Wong’s Make a White Vineyard in Oyama, Lake Country.   Well-drained, gravelly soils combined with a west-facing slope provide an excellent site for developing the ripe flavours that this Riesling displays.

The wine is fermented very slowly to retain the fruit character and then use extensive lees stirring to help develop the body of the wine.

Aromas of pear, granny smith apple, and biscuit from the lees contact.  On the palate the dry Riesling bursts with flavours of pink grapefruit, green apple and minerality. 

Enjoy with creamy risotto or seared scallops.

Sperling Vineyards Old Vines Riesling 2016 ($35)

Not released until 2 years in the bottle have passed. Most years, harvested at 20.5 to 21.5 Brix and 10 g/L acidity. Fruit hand-harvested cool in the late fall, then the bunches were sorted and destemmed with a 4-6 hour cold soak before gentle pressing. Slightly settled juice is fermented cool with non-aromatic and wild yeast in stainless steel to desired dryness when fermentation is halted.

This wine is the jewel of the vineyard with the fruit coming from the 1978 Riesling block. The golden straw-coloured wine has bright acidity and is meant to be cellared. There is lemon zest on the nose with floral notes and a hint of petrol. Flavours of green apple, key lime and white peach with a creamy, richly textured mouthfeel and a slight mineral backbone.  This wine has great length and complexity. Okanagan Riesling at its finest! 93 Points.

For other excellent Sperling Vineyard wines please see Sperling Vineyards releases six organic wines

Mayhem Riesling 2019 ($18.26)

The Riesling was handpicked at the Campagnaro vineyard in Summerland. It landed on the crush pad at 23 Brix where it was loaded straight into the press for whole-cluster pressing. After a period of cold settling, it was inoculated with a single yeast strain undergoing a long slow cool ferment. It was racked off its lees, left to settle, and filtered just before bottling.

Alcohol 13.0% |PH 3.04|TA 9.19|RS 9.68

This Riesling has acidity and residual sugar in perfect balance. The wine is light gold in colour. Aromas of apple, pear, tropical fruit and honey. On the palate, there is lively acidity with flavours of Granny Smith apples and white peach and a crisp finish.  91 Points

Four Shadows 2021 Classic Riesling ($23.99)

13.6% Alcohol is higher than in previous years due to the extreme summer heat.

A lovely pale straw colour. Aromas of white peach and stone fruit. Flavours of ripe apricots, mango, green apple, pear, honeycomb, lemon and key lime pie.

The wine has a vibrant crisp mouthfeel. The perfect off-dry style Riesling with high acidity and sweetness in natural balance. This is the flagship wine at Four Shadows. 92 Points.

The wine paired perfectly with pan-fried steelhead trout.

Conclusion

I would love to hear from you if you have tried any of these excellent BC Rieslings or if you have found a great value wine I have missed.