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Weischriesling (also known as Welschriesling, Graševina, or Olaszrizling) is a highly refreshing white grape variety dominant in Central and Eastern Europe. It produces light-bodied, crisp-acid, and low-alcohol white wines. Smelling of green apples, citrus, wildflowers, and fresh hay, these wines are a perfect, thirst-quenching choice for sunny days.
Read moreDespite its name, this variety is incredibly versatile. It can be found ranging from completely dry to naturally sweet dessert styles.
For everyday consumption, dry, steel-fermented Weischriesling wines are the most popular. They stand out with a more neutral but very clean and fresh aromatic profile. However, the true potential of this variety is often revealed in Austria, especially in the Burgenland region, where these berries produce some of the world's best dessert (Trockenbeerenauslese) wines. Affected by noble rot (Botrytis), they acquire an incredible concentration of honey, dried apricots, and pineapples while maintaining an excellent acid balance.
Dry Weischriesling is a very unpretentious food companion. It pairs perfectly with light appetizers, summery salads, fresh fish, fried calamari, and mild cheeses. It is also an excellent wine for preparing a traditional "Spritzer" (a cocktail of wine and sparkling water). Sweet dessert variants flawlessly match fruit tartlets or intense blue mold cheese.
No, this is one of the biggest confusions in the wine world. Although the name contains the word "Riesling," genetically, this variety has nothing to do with the noble German Riesling. The word "Welsch" in ancient Germanic languages meant "foreign" or "Romanic" (coming from the south), to distinguish this southern variety from the local Rhine Riesling.
Due to its spread in Central Europe, the variety has many synonyms. In Croatia (where it is the most popular white variety), it is called Graševina, in Hungary – Olaszrizling, in Italy – Riesling Italico, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia – Ryzlink Vlašský.
