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11 Best Sweet Riesling Wine Under $20 for 2023 | Sweetness Chart
Best Riesling Wine – What do you think of when you hear Riesling?
- For wine beginners or sweet wine drinkers, this is the perfect light wine!
- Red wine drinkers, will think it’s likely too sweet!
- And Sommeliers/wine experts, will consider this one of the most versatile grapes!
In truth, the Riesling grape is all of the above. Riesling is one of the most flexible grapes in use today because they can satisfy all different types of wine drinkers (from a wine novice to a wine enthusiast).
Table of Contents
What are the 11 Best Sweet Riesling Under $20?
I have assembled a list of our favorites. Below is our list for off-dry to medium sweet Rieslings. If you are interested in dry Riesling, click here.
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Can be found at Trader Joe’s for about $9.99. This amazing German Riesling from the famous Mosel region fits the budget and provides juicy tropical fruit flavors, bright acidity and minerality.
The largest winery in Washington and the single largest producer of Riesling in the WORLD. Their Rieslings can be found almost anywhere that sells wine.
This sweet Riesling has a crisp acidity and fruit flavors of apple, peach, and pears. This wine is a crowd pleaser that goes with anything. Some consider it not too sweet, while other consider it sweet. Read more…
At Trader Joe’s, it goes for about $7.
A cult classic; some wine drinkers will only have this Riesling in their repertoire!
This well-known sweet Riesling is also from the classic Mosel region of Germany. Refreshing yet sweet with fruit flavors of green apples and pears with a hint of minerality.
This California Riesling thrives in the cool climate region of Monterey.
This sweet Riesling magically develops tropical fruit aromas with honey and pear flavors while maintaining a balanced acidity.
Another Riesling from Germany, however this time from the Rheingau region. Normally known for their dry Rieslings, this off-dry wine is a great choice for all types of wine drinkers.
This sweet Riesling has a floral aroma along with flavors of pineapple, pear, honey, and apple. Along with the bold acidity and sweet juicy flavors, this wine pairs well with spicy food and Asian cuisine.
Comes from up-and-coming New York Finger Lakes region that’s known for good Rieslings. Dr. Konstantin Frank, in my opinion, is one of the best wineries in the region.
Generally popular amongst wine enthusiasts for their Dry Rieslings, this Semi-Dry Riesling can also compete with any Off-dry and/or sweet Riesling in the world. It has rich flavors of green apple, honey, and some citrus fruit notes with hints of minerality.
Popular amongst the younger generation due to the minimalist design and cool looking blue bottle. It has a crisp and refreshing taste that’s incredible for a highly affordable sweet Riesling that can be a good dessert wine. Read more…
Made by Chateau Ste Michelle from the Columbia Valley, they combine Old World philosophy and New World technique. This Riesling can be aged. Maybe the “classier” Riesling of this bunch for the wine enthusiast.
This wine can be found for a steal on Vivino for $15 or at Total wine for $17. It has refined and delicate flavors of lemon, green apple, pear, some minerals, and hint of honey. This is an excellent wine to pair with dinner.
Another German wine from the Mosel region, this off-dry Riesling is sweet and tasty! This sweet Riesling has a floral aroma along with flavors of honey and slate.
An Oregon semi-sweet Riesling from a winery known more for many other different types of wine like their Pinot Noir. But they also make this aromatic wine has juicy peach flavors, with sweet apple and a long finish. This Riesling is a hidden gem.
Another German wine from the Mosel Region. As you can see from our list, Mosel is a great region to get your Rieslings. This FGZ Riesling is a natural and pure Mosel region Riesling.
This sweet Riesling has flavors of peach, citrus, honey, and hint of minerals. Try it out!
Bone Dry to Sweet Rieslings
A Riesling can go from bone dry to extremely sweet wines. This flexible wine can be light bodied or full bodied depending on the sweetness and age of the wine. And they generally have high acidity, making them a great pairing with food.
If a sommelier was asked to bring a bottle of wine to dinner and didn’t know what was going to be served or who was coming, there’s a good chance they’ll bring a Riesling due to its versatility.
White Wine Sweetness Chart
8 Best Riesling Wine Regions
What is German Riesling?
Germany is the top producer of Rieslings. They even grade their Riesling grape harvest by ripeness, known as Prädikatswein. Each grade tells you how dry to sweet the Riesling is.
Below is our translation, so next time you pick up a German Riesling you know exactly what you are getting.
- DRY – Dry and Troken
- OFF DRY – Feinherb/Halbtrocken
- MEDIUM-SWEET – Kabinett, Spatlese
- SWEET – Late Harvest, Auslese, Beerenaulese,Trockenbeernauslese
Germany vs France Riesling
Alsace, France is also a very well-known Riesling region. This popular grape growing region is right next to Mosel, Germany on the map, meaning they also make some great Rieslings due to similar climates.
However, French Rieslings tend to be much DRIER and slightly higher in alcohol content.
What are Riesling Aromas?
Quick Facts about Riesling
- Cooler climate grape, the Riesling prefers chilly growth
- Pairs well with all foods. Dry Riesling are great for pork and fish dishes, and the sweet Rieslings can match the spicyness of Asian dishes.
- Versatile – no other grape can be as Dry or as sweet
- Little to no oak is used in its making
- Generally lower alcohol content
- Petrol is a characteristic you find in well-aged or warm region Riesling
- Sugar in wine contributes to longevity in the cellar, so it’s no coincidence that some of the most expensive, age worthy Riesling is sweet
Related Reads
If you are interested in sweet wines, these other articles may interest you:
- What about Sweet Champagne?
- Or Ice Wine
- Maybe a Tawny for dessert
- Other Sweet white wines
- Or sweet red wines
And if you are not interested in sweet Rieslings, check out our Dry Rieslings list.
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