Vitis vinifera Riesling - Grape Vine

The 'Riesling' vine is a noble grape variety originating from the Rhine, famous for its fruity-floral aroma and acidity that give dry white wines or sparkling wines their refreshing characteristics. Its clusters of golden grapes are harvested late, in late October, depending on the climate and the year. This vine is quite vigorous, productive, very resistant to cold, but it does need a long, hot summer for fruit ripening. Well adapted to continental climates, it is quite sensitive to fungal diseases. This is a wine grape, not a table grape.

The wine grape (Vitis vinifera) grew wild over 5000 years ago. Its introduction to France for cultivation was done by the Romans. Many hybrids were created to vary colours, flavours, and uses. The Riesling vine is a very ancient variety cultivated for centuries in Germany and eastern France, particularly in Alsace and Moselle. These regions have produced exceptional wines. Indeed, Riesling is a terroir wine, whose personality is intimately linked to the climate, exposure, and nature of the soil. One of Riesling's parents is believed to be 'Gouais Blanc', while the other is believed to be a vine resulting from the cross-breeding between a wild vine and 'Traminer'. This vine requires long pruning and must be trellised. It is susceptible to powdery mildew, anthracnose, grape worms, and especially grey rot.

A sarmentous climbing shrub of medium vigour, the 'Riesling' vine can easily reach 4-5m (13-16ft) in height or spread if not pruned. Its final shape will depend on the pruning performed. The Riesling vine is a frugal sun-loving plant, not very demanding, which even prefers a soil that is both clayey and rocky, with a tendency towards limestone, but can be sensitive to prolonged drought. Its long stems attach themselves to their support (trellis, espalier) through large green and voluble tendrils. Its foliage, with a serrated edge, is a deep green in summer and turns a beautiful gold in autumn. Its flowering occurs in May-June depending on the year and region, offering very small greenish flowers gathered in short and compact pyramidal and cylindrical clusters. Its small round grapes, slightly flattened, have a fairly thin and firm skin that is white-green to golden yellow, sprinkled with brown-red spots at full ripeness, in late October. Their pulp is not very juicy or firm, slightly sweet, with a distinctive and quite pronounced flavour, pleasant but slightly bitter and tart. 'Riesling' is well suited for sweet wines such as Late Harvest and Selection of Noble Grains. It produces a high-quality dry white wine, elegant, very aromatic, with a characteristic bouquet, which ages well and can be stored for a long time.

Riesling grapes are primarily consumed after vinification. They can also be used for ornamentation in a pergola or trained against a sunny wall.