Whether it's medium sweet or dry, there's little more refreshing than a cool glass of young zesty, limey riesling, perhaps with a little sweetness in the mouth and a crisp dry finish, or more intriguing than a golden glass of aged riesling with aromas of kerosene, buttered toast and lime marmalade, a mouth filling richness and a lively crisp finish.
However, that steely acidity often means we don't want a second glass.
Some tend to be a bit like a see-saw - sweet at the beginning then leave you sucking your lips and reaching for something like cheese or bread to tone down the acidity on the finish.
◊ Best under $20
(about $19)
Lovely sweet fruit with a hint of apple, the intensity of lime marmalade and the richness of buttered toast coalesce into a steely, crisp, mouth-watering finish that invites another sip.
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
www.domain-road-vineyard.co.nz
(about $17)
A hint of mint and lime, with sweet fruit and lively finish.
A medium style.
Two stars (out of five)
Average value
(about $19)
Fragrant with suggestions of eau de cologne mint and lime, round in the mouth, off-dry with a hot, crisp finish.
Two stars (out of five)
Average value
(about $20)
Perfumed with pineapple, lime and a hint of gorse flowers, this is a taut, racy wine, medium sweet but with a tingly textural finish.
One of the few rieslings that invite a second glass.
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
(about $22)
A dryish, steely wine with hints of lemongrass and greywacke, with a lingering, lip-sucking finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Below average value
(about $28)
The finish on this wine was so long, I kept putting off tasting the following wine to savour the lively, lingering hints of lime, citrus, ginger and quince.
It's a delicate but steely wine that dances on the tongue and lingers in the mouth for ages.
Will develop with bottle age.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
ANOTHER GLASS
Misha's Vineyard Limelight Central Otago Riesling 2008
(about $27)
From a new vineyard on the northern side of Lake Dunstan, this bright, tingly wine hints of golden peaches and citrus.
It's medium sweet, with charm and power, with a tight, crisp finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Below average value
Montana Reserve Waipara Riesling 2008
(about $24)
Fragrant with hints of mandarin, nectarines and mint, this bright, racy, off-dry wine dances on the tongue.
Three stars (out of five)
Below average value
Spy Valley Envoy Marlborough Riesling 2007
(about $29)
The big brother of the delicious Spy Valley wine above, this is a year older with suggestions of zesty sweet lime and mineral, sweetish, but so taut and racy it's like dancing on a tightrope.
A late harvest style with a steely, crisp finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
Jacobs Creek Steingarten Barossa Riesling 2006
(about $32)
This is one of the wonderful rieslings from the hills above the Barossa in Australia, oozing wonderful aromas and flavours of lime marmalade and buttered toast, intense and mouthfilling, apparently sweet to start, but with a powerful, long, steely dry finish.
Good with food such as fish, chickenor vegetables with citrus or a few Asian spices.
Already three years old, it will develop with further bottle age.
Five stars (out of five)
Average value
