By Christine Ansbacher

To me, Reisling is the greatest white wine, both as an aperitif and as a food partner. But it’s a wine that is completely misunderstood. I get so frustrated when someone rejects even trying it because they are convinced “it’s too sweet.” Riesling comes in such a wide range of styles, from very dry to opulently sweet that there is a taste for everyone and for every food. No wine is more refreshing and boasts lower alcohol levels. All Rieslings from Alsace are dry (except the small percentage that say “Late Harvest” and “SGN,” which signify that the wines are sweet). Also, Rieslings from California, Australia, Austria, and South Africa are drier than their German counterparts.

But it’s well worth looking for a dry German Riesling on the menu. They still haven’t dispelled their “sweetish” image, so the dry versions can be a bargain on the wine list compared to their counterparts from other regions.

Besides asking the sommelier, here are two ways to ferret out delicious, food-friendly dry Rieslings.

Look for the term Riesling “Kabinett” on the wine list. (Kabinett connotes a level fo quality in the German wine hierarchy. I remember this by thinking Riesling sounds a little like “wrestling.” Kabinett sounds like the word “cabinet.” And sometimes I have to “wrestle to open a cabinet door” in the kitchen.

Look for Riesling “trocken.” Troken means dry.

Christine Ansbacher, DWS, CWE is a wine expert and the author of Secrets from The Wine Diva: Tips on Buying, Ordering and Enjoying Wine. To order her book and see video clips of her on TV sharing practical tips that will save you time, money and aggravation go to http://www.thewinediva.com/wine-book