Stu Smith Answers the FAQ's of Riesling

Why does Smith-Madrone label its wine "Riesling" while other producers use "Johannisberg Riesling," "White Riesling," "Dry Riesling" and "Gray Riesling?"

Because that's the true name of the varietal. When was the last time you had a red Riesling? White Riesling is redundant; Johannisberg is a handsome castle-winery in Germany not too dissimilar from Smith-Madrone (except that we’re only 50 years old and they’re 300 years old). Why should we call Riesling 'Johannisberg Riesling' if we don't call Pinot Noir 'Romanee Noir' or Cabernet Sauvignon 'Lafite Sauvignon?' The true name of the varietal is simply Riesling. In 1983 we lobbied the BATF for six months to get the right to call our wine “Riesling.” For more than 15 years we were the only winery in the U.S. to call the wine by its true name, Riesling, which I think goes to show the lack of seriousness and commitment that many vintners give to this variety. If they're not willing to call it by its true name, how can they make the wine into its true potential? Why does Smith-Madrone produce great Riesling where others have failed?

We've received enormous recognition for our Riesling since our first vintage in 1977. Several bottles of the 1977 vintage, left over from a trade tasting in Europe, was casually entered in the Gault-Millau “Wine Olympics” competition of that year, where it won the top honor as 'Best Riesling' out of a field of Rieslings from around the world, including many from Germany's best estates.

Growing great grapes is like a three-legged stool - if any one of the three elements is missing the stool falls down. First and foremost, you need the right climate. It's why we can grow grapes in California and not Alaska. Then you have to differentiate the climates even more finely, such as between Fresno vs. Livermore and then the finer differences still of Napa vs. Sonoma and finally Spring Mountain vs. Oakville. Historically Riesling in German climates has a long and cool growing season. That is why Riesling, in order to get ripe, is usually grown only on the southern-facing slopes of Germany so that the grapes can get the greatest amount of heat and sunlight.

Second, you need the appropriate soil. For ordinary wine you want deep rich soil capable of producing many tons per acre, enabling the winery to produce a lower cost wine. For premium wine you want soil with moderate fertility and depth of soil. The soil limits the grape production to just a few tons per acre, giving a higher leaf to cluster ratio and produces smaller berries, giving a higher skin to pulp ratio - all allowing for more concentrated flavors in the grapes and hence the wine. Soil that is too rich produces grapes without character and flavor. A very good grower can mitigate some of that, but most growers want more grapes and may even irrigate on those rich soils exacerbating the problem.

Thirdly, you need a grower who understands that he is growing grapes for wine quality. Historically, a farmer measures his success in a one step process. If he grows more corn, hay, cotton, carrots, etc. than his neighbors do, he is successful. But with winegrape growers it's not the amount of fruit he grows; it's the quality of the wine that is produced that is critical. We have all three legs of that stool. Our climate on Spring Mountain is cooler than on the Napa Valley floor; our steep mountain soils are less fertile than our Valley floor neighbors and we understand the Riesling grape and what it requires to grow those grapes better than most others.

Why isn't there more Riesling planted on California's North Coast?

Because of economics, Riesling will never be widely grown in Napa and Sonoma because of the value of the land. Cabernet Sauvignons priced somewhere between $50-150 a bottle and Chardonnay in the $50 (and up) bottle range support current land prices. Riesling selling retail at $40 a bottle cannot support $100,000 - $200,000/acre.