The World's Most Neglected Wines (Part Two): Enter the Dragonstone

Last year I declared the dry Rieslings of Australia to be sorely neglected; little did you know, fair Foodista blog reader, that I would not even be done with Riesling. For the Rieslings of Germany are far and away some of the most beautiful and pleasurable wines in the world. So why are they so neglected? In a word: sweetness.

To paraphrase Terry Theise, who has an impeccable record selecting (and astonishing passion for) German Riesling: Sweetness is not a crime. (And if you want to read a 100-page catalog of German wines that will change how you drink and appreciate wine, click here. This will be the most pleasurable pdf you ever read.) I think when we hear that a wine is sweet, we automatically think cloying, cotton candy, juvenile sweetness. But what makes German Riesling so great is the balance. The balance, specifically, between sweetness and acidity. Frankly, if you tasted (blind) a generic, domestic Chardonnay side-by-side with a decent German Riesling, I bet you might find the Chardonnay sweeter. (Try it!) Not only is there balance, but moderate alcohol; you want a glass of wine to refresh on a hot day, you take a well-chilled glass of Riesling out on the patio.

So what do I like about the Dragonstone so much? Well, it's called the Dragonstone! (Or Drachenstein, even cooler.) Who doesn't want to ask for a glass of Dragonstone? And it's not just an imposing name; this is a single-vineyard wine from one of Germany's best producers, Leitz.

I imagine you would like to enjoy some cuisine with this lovely white? Absolutely. How about sushi? The sweetness of the wine really works with the salty soy and sinus-clearing wasabi. Or take it in a bit of an opposite direction and try it with pork. Chops and applesauce, anybody? Go Riesling!

A final note: My best advice for picking an imported wine, if you are not familiar with any of the names you see, is to look at the back label. There are certain importers, like Michael Skurnik, whose name on the back label assure you of an interesting and delicious wine. So when you find an import you like, look at the back label and seek out other wines in that portfolio.

Jameson Fink is a wine buyer at a bustling grocery store in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. He moved to Seattle from Chicago, where he dabbled in the restaurant and wine industries, five years ago to pursue a full-time career in wine. He'd rather be drinking Champagne and eating popcorn right now.