When people perceive the word Riesling, they think of a German white wine. While that is true, it is also incorrect to think of Riesling in such a restricted way. Riesling is a special grape varietal that is used to yield Riesling wines. Germany was the first to make a market for these wines going back to the 15th century. To be spot on, they make many different variations of the same varietal. Each style is based on the measurement of residual sugar left in the wine when fermentation is concluded. To the purchaser this marks the difference between dry, semi-dry, and sweet tasting Riesling wine. The Alsace region of northern German is best known for a dry style of Riesling while the other styles are more prevalent in the Rhine region. When favorably produced, Riesling wines have heightened normal acid level making them somewhat crisp and bright fruit flavors such as peach, apple, grapefruit, and pear.

For years it was accepted that the cool temperatures and the slate and sandy clay soils of Germany were the essential environment to produce a successful Riesling grape for high grade wines. So commonly accepted that it was not until the 20th century that Austrians and Australians jumped in to plant vast acreage in Riesling vines for wine production. Later in the 19th century winegrowers in New York State became the first to attempt to grow Riesling vines in the United States. These wines were renouned in the states but did not match favorably with their German the German wineries.

Not until the late 20th century did California wineries endeavor any serious sowing of the Riesling grape. Unlike the German tradition of capitalization (adding sugar to the wine during fermentation in order to increase alcohol levels), the California wine code prohibits this so grapes are left on the vine until sugar levels and acid levels are at the correct level. This code added more risk for California wine growers as the short window for gathering was problematic. While Californian winemakers have been attempting in producing top ranked Riesling wines, few have been successful until recently.

In the small California appellation of Temecula Valley in the Southern part of the state, few Temecula wineries have been yielding Riesling since the 1980s. The most visible of late is Falkner Temecula Winery where Riesling has been produced since their origination in 2000. Their semi-dry, very flavorful 2008 Riesling captured a gold medal, best of South Coast Region and Best of California wine awards at the recent 2009 California State Fair. Falkners Riesling is about 1.5% residual sugar with just enough sweetness to bring forth the bright ripe pear and apple flavors. The acids balance this Temecula wine very well and provide for a slight crispness that consumers find so attractive. Falkner Temecula Winery only yields about 400 cases of their Riesling every year so bottles can be difficult to obtain. Falkner wines sell in their Temecula wine tasting room, on their website of http://FalknerWinery.com and in major Southern California wine shops. This is a clear sign of where California is headed in the Riesling market and most consumers will be pleased with the result.