Semi Sweet / Moderately dry

[jpy15026]

Semi Sweet / off dry / Moderately dry / moderately sweet / slightly sweet / ....Arrruugghhh, this is all too confusing!
I am trying to judge different Rieslings (and other whites) based on info I can dig up on the net. Having made a chart (I have way too much time on my hands) I listed Alcohol percent -T.A.(total acid) - pH - and RS (residual sugar) on 8-10 brands of Rieslings;Covey Run,Ste.Michelle,Columbia Crest,Carl Reh.etc. Discriptions on web sites and reviews use all the above terms to describe the dryness but they don't help much,that's why I tried charting,is there another way besides buying each bottle to find out(there are no real tastings here in Penna.)
Thanks

[Innkeeper]

Hi Jpy, and welcome to the Wine Board. We can sympathize with you. Instead of getting easier, things are getting more complicated. Those from Alsace used to all be bone dry except for late harvest bottlings. Not any more. Germany still gives the best information indicating whether the wine is troken, kabinett, spatlese, etc. Australia is mostly dry to bone dry. Most people call just dry up to 1% RS.

When it comes to America, right now I wouldn't get any Riesling except from the Finger Lakes in New York. Most of the producers there will tell you on the label or at the winery if you ask. They can ship to you now, I think! The wines from there are dry (up to .5% RS) or just say Riesling. The latter run .5-1.5% RS usually.

Like, I said, we can sympathize with you. Beyond the above it is mostly trial and error.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 01-28-2006).]

[robr]

I also like the Washington state reislings, which tend to be sweet. Chateau St. Michelle is quite good, if you like sweet.