Podcasts · Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep
101. Riesling for WSET Level 2 - Everything You Need to Know
· 15 min · S1 E101
Episode 101. Riesling for WSET Level 2 - Everything You Need to Know
Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 15 minutes 31 seconds Release Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
Riesling for WSET Level 2 - Everything You Need to Know Join the Wine Educate Newsletter
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Episode Description
This episode kicks off a new series on Germany, Alsace, and Austria by starting where it all begins: Riesling. Jancis Robinson calls it the world's most undervalued, often misspelled, and most often mispronounced grape. Joanne breaks down everything you need to know about this versatile variety, from its German origins to its ability to express terroir like few other grapes can.
You'll learn why Riesling's naturally high acidity is its superpower, allowing winemakers to create everything from bone-dry wines to lusciously sweet dessert styles. Joanne also tackles the petrol aroma (yes, that's a thing), explains why cool climates are essential for Riesling, and shares why serious wine collectors are turning to German Riesling as Burgundy prices them out of the market.
This is a straight-up lesson for Level 2 students, but anyone interested in understanding one of the world's greatest white grapes will find this episode valuable.
What You'll Learn in This Episode Riesling Basics
• Origins in Germany dating back to 1435 • Parent grape lineage (Gouais Blanc, related to Chardonnay and Gamay) • Why Riesling thrives in cool to moderate climates • The importance of being a late-ripening grape
Key Characteristics
• Naturally high acidity and why it matters • Why Riesling is classified as an aromatic grape • The role of old, neutral oak barrels in German winemaking • Riesling's ability to express terroir
Styles and Winemaking
• Range of sweetness levels from dry to very sweet • How winemakers create off-dry and medium-sweet styles • Aging potential (decades, similar to Cabernet Sauvignon) • Development of tertiary aromas like honey and petrol
Flavor Profiles
• Early harvest: green apple, pear, citrus • Riper styles: stone fruit, tropical fruit • Late harvest/botrytis: dried fruit, honey
Key Regions for Level 2 Students
• Germany: Mosel (lighter, ethereal, medium sweetness), Rheingau (drier, fuller bodied), Pfalz (reliably dry, fuller bodied) • Alsace, France: Dry, full-bodied styles (up to 13.5% alcohol) • Australia: Eden Valley and Clare Valley (dry, lime, peach blossom, petrol)
Episode Highlights & Quotes
"If a grape is later ripening and if it warms up too soon, it won't have the time to develop their aromas and flavors. So a later ripening grape needs a cooler climate in order to stretch out the ripening to develop these flavors."
"For my wine collectors or budding wine collectors out there, you can get so much more enjoyment and stretch your budget a lot further by investing in German wines than you can say in perhaps Burgundy today. Some of the very top Rieslings are selling for 50, $60 where you could 10x that for Burgundy."
"It is time to look at Riesling in a new light. Unfortunately, in the eighties there was a lot of Liebfraumilch in the market. 60% of German exports were this Liebfraumilch, which is not a very impressive wine, and it's given Riesling a bad name."
Quick Reference: Riesling at a Glance
Climate: Cool to moderate Acidity: Naturally high Oak: Typically none (or old, neutral barrels in Germany) Sweetness range: Dry to very sweet Body: Light to full Aging potential: Decades Signature aromas: Green apple, citrus, stone fruit, petrol (in older wines) Top regions: Germany (Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz), Alsace, Australia (Eden Valley, Clare Valley)
Resources Mentioned
• Jancis Robinson (wine critic and author) • Von Buhl (German wine importer) • Peter Lauer wines (Mosel producer) • Florian Lauer (current winemaker at Peter Lauer) •…
Links in the notes 3
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