Riesling is the ultimate food wine. Its classic partners are veal, Alsatian choucroute and dishes with creamy sauces, but the wine goes well with virtually any cuisine. (Just avoid pairing it with rare beef or any recipes with Mediterranean flavors like olive oil, garlic, basil and tomatoes.) Here, some of our favorite Rieslings.
2001 FRIEDRICH-WILHELM-GYMNASIUM GRAACHER HIMMELREICH KABINETT ($15) Colorless as water, but don't be fooled. This wine, from the Graacher Himmelreich vineyard's rocky slopes in Germany's Mosel region, smells of flowers and tastes of lime and quince.
2002 SELBACH-OSTER ZELTINGER SCHLOSSBERG SPÄTLESE ($24) Johannes Selbach is one of the top vintners of the Mosel. His Zeltinger Schlossberg is cool and racy, filigreed by a light sweetness.
1998 TRIMBACH CUVÉE FRÉDÉRIC EMILE ($35) Trimbach's Frédéric Emile is one of the greats of Alsace Riesling. Rich and concentrated but not sweet, it has the strength to age for years.
1999 DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER GRAND CRU SAERING ($23)Grand cru Alsace wine at a non-grand price. This wine delivers: It's deep, rich and bone-dry.
2002 DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRASSEN FEDERSPIEL ($14) Federspiel wines from Austria's Wachau region are meant to be light and easy-drinking, but this surpasses the designation with its floral aromas and spicy flavor.
2002 HERMANN J. WEIMER DRY JOHANNISBERG ($12) From New York's Finger Lakes region, this superb dry Riesling is full of lime-rind flavors and comes at a bargain price.
2002 DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK DRY ($14) Konstantin Frank introduced Riesling to the Finger Lakes back in the '50s; Fred Frank, his grandson, still makes one of the region's best examples.
2002 MITCHELL WATERVALE ($18) Watervale is the Riesling heart of Australia's Clare Valley, and Andrew Mitchell's version is a classic, with the scent of freshly cut lime and intense citrus flavors.
2002 JACOB'S CREEK SOUTH AUSTRALIA RESERVE ($13) This spicy, warm, peachy wine would be good with any meal, or chilled down as a refreshing aperitif.
2002 MOUNT HORROCKS CORDON CUT ($25/375 ml) Australians call their dessert wines stickies, but this defies the term. Cordon Cut is sweet, yes, but its sharp acidity gives it perfect balance.
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