My next posting was inspired by my recent trip to Fielding Estates Winery located on the bench in Beamsville.  My visit started out as a social call to say hello to my fellow industry mates, but seeing as I was there I thought I would revisit one of Niagara’s best wine producing varietals: Riesling. In my opinion, Fielding produces some of the finest Rieslings in the peninsula. The natural slope of the Niagara Escarpment provides excellent drainage to ensure the roots of those Riesling grapes dig deep to extract the minerals and nutrients from down low.  The slightly cooler temperatures on top of the bench keep the acid levels in Riesling nice and fresh.  Without its crispy acidity, the intense flavor of Riesling is not balanced. The sweet nuances of honeysuckle, peaches and tangerine require that bright acidity to create a refreshing balance.  The Beamsville Bench is definitely one of the appellations where Riesling shines. 

I especially like the sparkling wine Fielding produces from their Riesling grapes.  It exhibits zingy lemon character combined with hints of mineral and delicious bubbles prepared by the charmat-method, a method in sparkling-winemaking where the secondary fermentation process – when the carbon dioxide is trapped in the wine to create bubbles – happens in a pressurized tank before the carbonated product is bottled. Delish! 

Interestingly, Riesling is supposed to be one of the best grape varietals to display the differences in terroir, the philosophy of how the aspects of nature influence how a wine tastes.  Differences in soil, climate and aspect all influence the outcome of a wine and supposedly it is most distinguishable in Niagara with Riesling.  Someday I would like to sample Riesling from each sub appellation in Niagara and see if I can pick out terroir differences.  I wonder if I could use that as a business expense.  I know what you are thinking – life is tough.

Cheers to Riesling!