Carole Tompers, General Secretary of Luxembourg for Business
We are proud of Riesling Which of the grape varieties produced in Luxembourg is your favourite?
Although I prefer red wines, my favourite of the grape varieties produced in Luxembourg is definitely Riesling. Can you describe this grape variety? Which of its characteristics do you like best?
It’s not for nothing that it’s called “The King of Wines” in Luxembourg. It has this rare ability to combine both sweetness and acidity in perfect harmony. To drink Riesling is to start from the mineral notes and arrive at the most fruity notes, while passing through this spectrum of acidity. It is a very rich wine. I also admire its ability to withstand even the harshest of winters. Frost or no frost, it always delivers a good wine. The weather conditions last year were ideal for the production of an even fruitier Riesling, just as I like it. I love this taste of mango and passion fruit whereas in the drier Rieslings, you can detect more citrus aromas. Is there a particular moment that you associate with tasting this grape?
In our profession, when we are working abroad we introduce our country by placing great emphasis on the quality of life in Luxembourg. Offering the opportunity to taste Riesling is one way of demonstrating this quality of life – by marrying the practical with the enjoyable. It’s one of the tools that we always take with us. We are very proud of this prestige Luxembourg prodThe wine-grower’s view on Riesling uct and we have no qualms about letting people taste it; it’s almost as if we were sharing a little of the Grand-Duchy way of life. Reactions are “The King of wines” is the best known grape variety. generally very positive. Our contacts all know about Riesling, but they Rieslings are among the greatest white wines in the think of it more in connection with Alsace or Germany and it is always world. The Moselle valley in Luxembourg offers a pleasant surprise for them to experience Riesling from Luxembourg. excellent cultivation conditions with its southerly And sometimes we even encounter a great connoisseur, who already aspect, sloping hillsides, significant sunlight hours appreciates its qualities. and ideally suited terroir. Depending on the soil, Riesling can be more mineral, richer or fruitier. It is
With which dish or food is it best enjoyed, in your opinion?
the grape variety that reacts the most to the terroir
Personally I think Riesling complements grilled dishes very well the powerful flavours of grilled meat and sausages. In my mind I associate it with good weather and sunshine, even in winter. Quite recently I discovered that it was the perfect accompaniment to spicy Chinese food. Very spicy dishes are counter-balanced by the coolness of this grape variety. But I am confident that Riesling will introduce me to even more new discoveries...
and the climate over the whole year. For optimum maturity, and well-structured wines, the ideal weather pattern just prior to the grape harvest is an alternating rhythm of hot days and cooler nights, something which the Moselle valley does perfectly. Even when the summers are particularly warm, the Luxembourg soil retains its humidity very well. The Riesling grapes are light green, gilded with yellow, sprinkled with reddish-brown patches on reaching full maturity. This gives a characteristic balanced bouquet that is typical of this wine which, more than any other grape variety, proudly discloses its origin. Riesling is also the best grape variety from which to produce late harvest and ice wines, as it always retains sufficient freshness and acidity.
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