Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Alsace (France), Austria, Germany, and northern Italy. It is a very old grape, first documented in 1435, in which year the storage inventory of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (a small principality on the Rhine) lists the purchase of six barrels of riesslingen from a Russelsheim vinter. The modern word ‘Riesling' was first documented in 1552 when it was mentioned in Hieronymus Bock's Latin herbal.
Riesling was first planted in New Zealand in the 1970s and has flourished in the relatively cool climate of the Marlborough area. In comparison with Australian Riesling, New Zealand produces lighter and more delicate wines that range from sweet to dry.
