Despite the lure of Bründlmayer, Josef Leitz, Dr Loosen, Ostertag, Dönnhoff, Hugel and St Urbans-Hof, I spent most of my tasting hours at the recent Riesling Rendezvous in Washington state sampling US Rieslings from Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan, New York and New Jersey. Yes, New Jersey.
Riesling Rendezvous is co-hosted by Chateau Ste Michelle, Washington's largest wine producer and the number one maker in quantity of Riesling in the world (some 1 million cases per year, spread out over a handful of brands), and its business partner, Ernst Loosen of Dr Loosen in the Mosel. This third Riesling Rendezvous drew...