Review: Winnings Riesling

I was surprised when I realized I haven’t previously written about Von Winning, Winnings Riesling. Why was I surprised? Because it’s one of my personal, “go to” Rieslings. When I’m in a rush at the wine shop and I want a good Riesling at a reasonable price, that I know will be aromatic and delicious, with just a hint of residual sugar to stand up to foods with a touch of spice, this is the one I grab.

It comes from the Pfalz region of Germany, also referred to as Palatinate, which is a region I don’t write about as often as some others. It’s south of the Rheinhessen region, which I’ve likely written about more often, and it runs right down to the northern border of the Alsace, France region. It is generally considered the warmest and sunniest wine region in Germany and has a climate similar to Alsace. Although I haven’t frequently reviewed wines from Pfalz, it’s a very productive region — producing a third of the wine consumed in Germany.

The Winnings Riesling is produced specifically for the US market. Unlike most Riesling, which is produced only in stainless steel tanks, 10% of the wine for Winnings spends time in used French or old German oak barrels. Because these are older barrels, they don’t impart an oak flavor, but will influence the feel of the wine.

The aromas are exotic, offering honeysuckle, pineapple, peach and wet stone fragrances. It’s so fragrant I thought for a brief second someone wearing perfume had walked by when I first smelled this wine. The palate is bright and fresh with lemon, green apple and peach aromas. The mouthfeel is nice. The finish is plenty long, with lingering green apple and peach flavors.

Wine: Von Winning, Winnings Riesling
Varieties: Riesling
Vintage: 2017
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $18.00 
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.