What is The Summer of Riesling?

What is it?
A love affair expressed in full Technicolor of the world’s greatest grape.

Why?
Because we can and we must overcome this hackneyed belief that Riesling is always sweet.

Where?
Every corner of America where wine is available.

When?
From June 21st to September 22nd
...we ain't kidding when we call it the Summer of Riesling!

How?
By bringing together everyone and handing them a glass of Riesling and engaging them in conversation, 
with the thrust of the dialogue centering on:
Balance…of sweetness and bone-crunching acidity
Complexity…like a conversation with Claude Levi-Strauss
Delicacy…as if Natalie Portman was dancing at the foot of your bed
Longevity…suffice it to say, Moses is a baby compared to the lifeline of this wine
Sense of Place…it has a footprint bigger than Sasquatch

Will I go to Heaven if I participate?
Remember, we are just fellow wine lovers and we do not have an inkling about Big Picture stuff. 
However, last summer the Virgin Mary appeared at one of our celebrations 
and we take that as a major league blessing.

A Brief History of the Summer of Riesling
     as told by Chairman Grieco

We began the love affair at Terroir Wine Bar in the East Village of New York City in 2008 as a single-minded attempt to get guests to at least try this noble grape. Throughout the entire summer--and I mean all 94 days--we poured only Riesling by the glass as our white wine offering. The staff was incredulous and the guests suspect. But with 30 different glass pours and another 100 bottle offerings, we set upon a massive inspirational and educational scheme that was challenging and fun. There was no end game so to speak; our only goal was to ensure that I did not bankrupt the wine bar. Needless to say, it is still open.

The summer of 2009 brought Summer of Riesling 2009. For our second year, we changed nothing except to expand our message with more in-house tastings, a bigger beating of the drum and a visit from the German Wine Queen (yes, she exists and she is tremendous!).

Summer of Riesling 2010 brought a bigger playing field as 14 fellow wine bars in New York City  helped to create a Riesling Wine Bar Crawl. Our long held dream of a music event was staged at the Knitting Factory on July 14th, titled the Summer of Riesling Concert: 4 bands with ONLY Riesling to drink…no beer, no Stoli, no Jägermeister. We hosted a multitude of producer visits and tastings (Donnhoff, Dr. Thanisch, F.X. Pichler, Dr. Loosen, Wiemer, etc.), and of course, we were graced with a visit from the German Wine Queen.
   
And, now, for the Summer of Riesling 2011. As must always be the case, it has to be bigger--didn’t Andy Warhol say: “Always leave them wanting less”…less over-oaked chardonnay, less vidal, less mediocrity. With this expansion of the program, we have enlisted the International Riesling Foundation to aid us in our endeavors. The I.R.F. is an organization solely dedicated to expanding the knowledge and interaction with this grape, and we obviously find über common ground with these dedicated souls. Wines of Germany is also part of the team, and since over 60% of the world’s Riesling vineyards are in Germany, we are carving out the month of July to create the 31 Days of German Riesling. So, join us for this wild ride of vinous fun, and I trust that you will not be disappointed.