{"product_id":"karl-may-riesling-2025-bio","title":"Riesling – 2025","description":"\u003ch2\u003eRiesling 2025 from Karl May Winery. Dry organic Riesling for evenings when cooking is involved.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRiesling 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e from Karl May Winery is exactly what it says on the label: dry Riesling, organically produced in Rheinhessen, juicy, straightforward, and uncomplicated. No sweet flatterer, no oak barrel wine, no expensive single-vineyard rarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRiesling 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e is the dry organic estate wine from Karl May Winery in Osthofen, grown on loess-loam in the Rheinhessen Wonnegau region. Imagine a typical Tuesday evening: a fish fillet sizzling in the pan, half a lemon on the cutting board. The accompanying wine doesn't need to be an event – but it should be fresh, clean, and honestly made. This Riesling fulfills exactly that role with a naturalness that is rarer on the shelves than one might think. It accompanies the food without overpowering it, and always remains distinctly Riesling. Hand harvesting, spontaneous fermentation, and aging in stainless steel give it more care than its label might suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreen Apple upfront, herbal spice in the finish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the nose, green apple, lime, and a hint of white peach; on the palate, juiciness, tension, and subtle herbal spice. In the glass, the wine shimmers bright straw yellow with green reflections. The label says dry Riesling, and the analysis confirms it: 3.9 grams of residual sugar remain well below what would be perceived as sweet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts backbone is 7.5 grams of acidity – noticeably tauter than the previous vintage. This doesn't make it sharp, because ripe grapes and extended lees aging integrate the acidity. The mouthfeel is more reminiscent of biting into a cold apple from the fridge than of lemon juice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a little air, the wine gains breadth: the green apple ripens in the glass towards yellow fruit, and the herbal note becomes more pronounced. Therefore, don't drink it too hastily – the second sip after ten minutes tells more than the first. A decanter is still unnecessary; a bulbous glass is sufficient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThose expecting a soft creaminess, perhaps from a Pinot Gris, will find this straightforward Riesling austere. You will also search in vain for barrique aromas: the wine sees only stainless steel. Both are intentional, as the estate wine focuses on freshness rather than richness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA kitchen wine from pike-perch fillet to tarte flambée\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts stage is the light, fresh kitchen: pan-fried fish, poultry, roasted vegetables, and anything that goes with lemon. For example, pan-fry a pike-perch fillet skin-side down until crispy, and finally swirl cold butter through the pan juices. The wine's acidity absorbs the butter and keeps the dish light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!--nl--\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a quick evening: tagliatelle with cream, peas, and lemon zest, topped with pan-fried shrimp – the Riesling cuts through the cream and highlights the citrus note. Equally suitable are tarte flambée with leek and fresh goat cheese, a schnitzel with lukewarm potato salad, or a mild vegetable curry. Even a strong vinaigrette doesn't throw it off balance, which many softer white wines fail to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt also works well on its own: as an aperitif, its freshness awakens the appetite without starting the evening with an alcoholic punch. A bowl of salted almonds or a few green olives are perfectly sufficient. Whether with roasted vegetables in winter or grilled trout in summer – the cuisine can change, the wine remains suitable. With cheese, the rule is: young goat cheese and mild mountain cheese yes, ripe red-smear cheese no. And you shouldn't subject it to dessert: against sweet dishes, a bone-dry Riesling quickly appears sour and loses its balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood to know:\u003c\/strong\u003e Serve it at 8 to 10 degrees in a slender white wine glass; if poured too cold, the fruit will close up. The screw cap is a practical advantage: an opened bottle will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days. However, the wine is not suitable for dark braised dishes and strongly aged cheese – it lacks the weight there. If you want to compare the house style, place it next to the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/karl-may-riesling-2024-bio\"\u003eRiesling from the previous vintage\u003c\/a\u003e and taste how differently two years can turn out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSeventh generation in Osthofen, spontaneous fermentation in the cellar\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe May family has been working in the Wonnegau, the southern part of Rheinhessen, since 1815. Today, Peter and Fritz May lead the winery in its seventh generation. Around 35 hectares between Osthofen, Bechtheim, and Westhofen have been under organic cultivation since 2007 – long before organic farming became fashionable in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes for this estate wine grow in the Heiligkreuz vineyard near Bechtheim: sandy loess-loam, sloping south-southeast. Loess stores water and warmth, the grapes ripen evenly – such soils produce fruit-driven, approachable wines. Defoliated grape zones, a green harvest in early summer, and selective hand-picking in several passes ensure healthy, ripe grapes. This effort is rarely given to entry-level wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, the must ferments spontaneously – solely with the yeasts that the vineyard and cellar naturally provide, without added cultured yeast. Spontaneous fermentation takes longer and requires attention, but it rewards with a more distinctive aroma profile. Afterwards, the young wine rests on its fine lees in stainless steel tanks for months, which gives it texture and stability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe winery is part of Maxime Herkunft Rheinhessen, a winemakers' association that categorizes wines according to the triad of estate wine, village wine, and single-vineyard wine. The estate wine forms the base of this hierarchy of origin: it should showcase the house style, not a single parcel. The principle is borrowed from the Burgundian model – the narrower the origin, the higher the aspiration. For you as a customer, this means that the name of the winery guarantees the content, not the name of a vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy an estate's basic wine reveals the most\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA winery can be judged more honestly by its estate wine than by its top wines. Great vineyards forgive a lot; the basics forgive nothing. The Vinum Wine Guide rates Karl May with three and a half stars and explicitly praises the quality of the estate wines. This reliability is precisely what makes the bottle the winery's calling card.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThose who wish to follow the pyramid upwards will find the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/karl-may-riesling-osthofen-2022-bio\"\u003evillage wine with a limestone character\u003c\/a\u003e one level above, and at the pinnacle, the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/karl-may-morstein-riesling-2021-bio\"\u003esingle-vineyard Riesling from Westhofen's Morstein\u003c\/a\u003e. The 2025 is the right entry into this series. It serves as a gift for an invitation, a supply for spontaneous guests, or the beginning of your own tasting. It's also a grateful choice for larger gatherings, as it neither bores wine connoisseurs nor overwhelms beginners. There's only one thing you shouldn't ask of it: years of aging. Its strength lies in the fruit of the first two to three years – buy it for drinking, not for collecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChill a bottle before you turn on the stove – what this Riesling promises, it delivers at the table.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Weingut Karl May","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":57047342645574,"sku":"008MAY1425","price":9.2,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"6x 750 ml","offer_id":57047342678342,"sku":"008MAY1425_6","price":53.54,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/files\/karl-may-riesling-2025.png?v=1785504308","url":"https:\/\/ginusslande.com\/en\/products\/karl-may-riesling-2025-bio","provider":"genussland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}