Origin: White Riesling is the best-known German grape variety. According to its characteristics and earliest occurrence, it was probably selected from wild vines in the Oberrhein region. It is a natural interbreeding of Heunisch × Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris x Traminer. The Origin of the name is unclear, a derivation from "Verrieseln" (couluring in German) or "reißende Säure" (lurid acidity in German) is discussed.

Characteristics: The white wine variety is frost-resistant, has a medium-late bud burst and a medium-strong upright growth. The blossom time is medium-late. Soil type, rootstock selection and fertilisation measures have a decisive influence on the flowering resistance. The Riesling ripens late. Its sensitivity to esca and stem diseases is relatively high. It has a high drought tolerance and very good wood maturity.

Grape: The grape is small to medium sized, shouldered and densely berried. The berries are small to medium sized, round and green-yellow coloured with small black dots. On the sunny side the grape turns yellow-brown. The taste is juicy, fruity, tart and aromatic-sweet when fully ripe.

Wine: The variety is suitable for the production of fine-fruited, slender quality wines and high-quality Auslese up to Trockenbeerauslese. The full ripeness of the wine is only reached after a longer period of ageing. Young wines are usually still with pronounced acidity and have an unharmonious taste. Riesling expresses the character of the respective location particularly well. Due to their relatively high acidity, Riesling wines have a good storage capacity.

Cultivation: Because of its late ripeness, this white wine variety needs the best vineyard sites. It is suitable for almost all soils and types of cultivation. Due to its high drought tolerance, it is also well suited for steep slopes and weathered rock soils. 

Clones

• The standard clone FR 52 has high flowering stability, slightly denser grapes and regularly produces high must weights.
• The widely used quality clone DN 500 is characterised by a particularly fruit-driven style. The wines are aromatic, accessible and typical of the grape variety.
  
  
• The quality clone 198-10 Gm has slightly looser grapes, which minimises the risk of botrytis. It produces average yields and high must weights with a fine acidity structure. The wines are elegant, delicately fruity and finely fragrant, with notes of rose and citrus and high terpene content.
  
  
• The quality clone 239-17 Gm achieves a medium to slightly reduced yield level and high must weights. It has a very high quality potential among the Geisenheim clones with the highest terpene content. The wines are characterised by a pronounced acidity structure, as well as distinctive fruitiness and raciness.
  
  
• The quality clone 336 Gm delivers slightly higher yields than 198-10 Gm and 239-17 Gm and achieves the highest must weights among the clones mentioned. The grapes are slightly more compact. The acidity is in the middle range, between 355 Gm and the higher acidity clones 198-10 Gm and 239-17 Gm. The wines are characterised by a very delicate fruity aroma, reminiscent of exotic fruits such as mango or passion fruit, depending on the vintage. The selection comes from ungrafted vines from the Mosel region planted in 1896.
  
  
• The premium clone 355 Gm has small bunches and loose berries, which significantly reduces the risk of botrytis. It has the lowest yields (about -40% in comparison, usually only slightly more than one grape per shoot), produces lower must weights and tends to have low acidity. The wines are very typical of the Riesling grape variety, with fine acidity, and are particularly suitable for high-quality wines in the premium segment without any additional yield regulation. The selection comes from a vineyard in Rheinhessen.