Undervalued and frequently mispronounced it offers a wealth of highly aromatic and diverse styles of white wine. Riesling can vary from bone dry, all the way through to lusciously sweet Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). Its ability to age and transmit the terroir of the vineyard without losing its individual character places it amongst the most noble and academic of grape varieties. Germany is seen as Riesling's Old World home with the greatest concentration in the Mosel Valley, however, plantings have steadily increased across the border in the region of Alsace, France. Most Alsation Rieslings tend to be on the drier side. Even though some Grand Crus contain more sugar, they are still very refreshing and appetizing, due to a high level of acidity.
In recent years, a surge in tourism has revitalized Croatia's breathtaking beaches and stone-walled medieval cities - and turned the spotlight on Croatia's wines as well. White wines dominate most of the northern regions. Local varietals include Grasevine (Welschrielsing), Grk, Posip, Vugava. and Bogdanusa. The south is known for its red wines from Plavac Mali, Refosco (of Italian origin), Frankovka, and Crljenak Kasteljanski, which is the same as American Zinfandel. The international varieties have become popular as blending components.
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Dessert wines are usually any sweet wine drunk with or around a meal. White fortified wines (fino and amontillado sherry) are usually drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines (port and madeira) drunk after it. Most fortified wines are regarded as distinct from dessert wines, but some of the less strong fortified white wines, are regarded as honorary dessert wines. In the United States a dessert wine is legally defined as any wine over 14% alcohol by volume, which includes all fortified wines.
