Riesling – The Uncombinable

Heavy Hits from the Acid Junkie

She describes herself as an “acid junkie.” That’s why she loves Riesling. And she reveals: “I’ve been lucky to always work with chefs who understood that the food must adapt to the wine – not the other way around. Because I can’t change the wine anymore. I can only give it a different glass or more bottle age.” Conversely, the kitchen can guide the dish to the wine. “The departure from the opulent, French-inspired culinary tradition has, in my feeling, led to a more conscious seasoning with acid. And that helps Riesling.” The best approach is, in any case, to combine the fruit of the Riesling with the spice of the food.

For young Riesling wines aged one to three years, Rameder recommends “all dishes that reflect the sweet-sour flavor profile of the wine.” In summer, this includes all appetizers with ripe tomatoes, possibly also in combination with nectarine or pineapple. Or ceviche, which is raw fish fermented with acid. For those who prefer a spicier flavor, thinly sliced habanero chilies or coriander leaves can be added, as coriander pairs especially well with a young Riesling with rich, clear fruit. It shouldn’t be too subtle either. For Riesling with three to five years of age, she likes to serve fried calamari with lime and aioli at Aelium. This is a dish where Riesling, with its linear acidity, can break and unlock the fat of the fried calamari. “You can use acidity like needle pricks or heavy hits. This makes dishes with more fat feel lighter and livelier.”
 

Maturity Alone is Not Everything

Since the variety recedes into the background with mature Riesling, it is easier to pair. Mature Rieslings have a soft acidity, and the tertiary aromas provide an additional dimension. With a hint of botrytis, the wine gains additional notes of saffron.

At Aelium, Elena Rameder pairs such wines with pike-perch with curry, saffron, and coriander. Or with Zander-Bosna, a dish traditionally made from a spiced sausage, known in southern Germany and Austria. It is prepared in a sliced white bread with mustard or ketchup, curry powder, and onions. At Aelium, the Bosna consists of homemade pike-perch sausages, tramezzini bread, pickled pineapple, coriander, curry, and dill. “A 2012 Riesling from the Malat winery, quite petrol-like and powerful, paired perfectly. What I love about Riesling: ginger, curry, saffron. These are all aromas that Riesling offers with maturity anyway. Riesling wines that are ten years or older handle such intense flavor notes wonderfully.”

However, Elena Rameder denies that Riesling becomes easier to pair as it matures: “You can’t say that universally. Especially when a wine is very reductive and austere, it can become really demanding. That’s exciting, especially when I approach it with an intellectual mindset. When I engage with the wine like a poem or a painting, which I explore and dissect layer by layer. However, that becomes difficult in a restaurant. It requires so much attention from the guest that the wine distracts them from the food and does not accompany it.”

For the pre-dessert with ice cream made from goat cheese with peach and lavender, the sommelier likes to serve gently off-dry variants. “A Kabinett has such a smooth surface, and the peach gives direction to the Riesling. That works excellently.”

“The Riesling Whistles Along”

Does she also pair Riesling with meat? “Yes, but the side dish is decisive. Personally, I like passion fruit and pineapple with meat, and that works with Riesling. Or with Thai-style salads with grilled meat, fruits, and sesame. Acidity and spiciness must be present everywhere for me. Rather than a Wiener Schnitzel, I prefer Alt-Wiener Backfleisch, where mustard is included in the breading. The Riesling whistles along with that. Personally, I would dare to try quite a bit, for example, Vitello Tonnato. Or meat with a balsamic glaze. However, I wouldn’t dare to do that in a restaurant.” Riesling works brilliantly for her with offal, for example, with “veal cream stew.” That’s an Austrian traditional dish made with mustard and capers, consisting of heart, liver, and lung. Or with liver prepared Venetian style.

Alternative wine styles can work well, according to Elena Rameder, but Riesling doesn’t necessarily need skin contact, as it offers enough acidity and structure. Does she have personal favorite Rieslings? “Through my Master of Wine studies, I’ve become a big fan of Australian Riesling. They are austere, metallic, with enhanced fruit. And I like the Rieslings from the Breuer winery in the Rheingau. They have this Rheingau masculinity and are a bit edgy.” In any case, she prefers Riesling wines that are not too opulent and floral, but rather stony and racier. “I would serve those in a wine-savvy group or with perfectly selected dishes. In a restaurant, I wouldn’t dare to incorporate that into a wine pairing. We sommeliers can often spend hours on certain combinations – but guests usually don’t have the time to engage with it as intensively as would be necessary to truly enjoy it.” For Elena Rameder, the guest is the focus, not personal preference. But: “Riesling works much more often than one might think.”