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.
Sparkling wine is a wine with high levels of carbon dioxide in it making it bubble. The carbon dioxide is a result of natural fermentation, either in a bottle or a specially designed tank, or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are many examples of red sparkling wines. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.When one thinks of sparkling wine they usually think of Champagne, but this wine is exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France and many sparkling wines are produced in other countries and regions. Most countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type from the Champagne region of France. The French terms "Mousseux" or "Crémant" are used to refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. German and Austrian sparkling wines are called Sekt. The United States is a significant producer of sparkling wine with producers in numerous states. Recently the United Kingdom, which produced some of the earliest examples of sparkling wine, has started producing sparkling wines again.
