International Riesling Foundation Launches website

SACRAMENTO, CA, January 27, 2009—The International Riesling Foundation (IRF) today launched a new web site (drinkriesling.com) designed to provide consumers with broad-based information about Riesling wines from around the world, and how to best enjoy them.
The web site was designed by Jonathan Bailey of Ash Design in Portland, in cooperation with Pacific Rim Winemakers of Washington State and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, with photographs provided by several trade associations and Riesling producers from around the world.  The site was created as a “portal” of information about Riesling, starting with basic information and providing links to other sites which provide more detail.
The HOME page includes a brief introduction to Riesling as well as direct links to the Riesling Taste Profile, Riesling Around the World, and News and Updates.
THE GRAPES section begins with photos depicting the versatility of Riesling as a table wine, botrysized late harvest wine, and ice wine made from grapes frozen on the vine.  The content describes the unique characteristics of Riesling as the world’s most noble white wine grape variety, including its reflection of “terroir” and the various flavors and aromas it can represent.
THE WINES section covers the variability and complexity or Riesling including the importance of balance, the effects of botrytis (the “noble rot”) in dessert wines, the flavors of petrol in some wines, tastes of minerality in many, Riesling’s aging potential, and the increasing use of screwcaps for Rieslings from various regions.
RIESLING TASTE PROFILE section, also linked directly from the HOME page, describes a unique system developed by the IRF for helping Riesling producers let consumers know what taste sensation to expect from a particular bottle of Riesling.  The actual taste is not a simple matter of natural residual sugar, but also involves its interplay with acid and pH in the finished wine.  With input from many Riesling wine makers, wine journalist Dan Berger developed technical guidelines which help define a simple graphic that may be added to a back label or point-of-sale materials to help consumers better predict the taste in the bottle.  The common misperception that Riesling is only “a sweet white wine” led to this important IRF project.
THE FOODS section includes information about why Riesling is such a great “food wine” due its versatility, and includes numerous recipes contributed by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.
THE REGIONS section, drawn largely from Pacific Rim’s Riesling Rules Book, provides basic information about the many regions around the world where Riesling is produced.
THE RESOURCES section includes direct links to the web sites of trade associations, Riesling producers, and other entities which provide more detailed information.
ABOUT US contains information about the International Riesling Foundation, including the Board of Directors and an invitation to support the organization’s efforts through voluntary contributions.
The International Riesling Foundation is a non-profit, Washington-based corporation created in November 2007 which has operated entirely on volunteer efforts by members of the Board.  The IRF’s mission is: “To increase awareness, understanding, trial and sales of Riesling wines through a comprehensive, integrated system of industry cooperation, research, trade education, and consumer communication.”  The IRF includes a Board of Directors comprising top Riesling producers and trade associations from around the world which met on January 27 in Sacramento, CA in conjunction with the Unified Symposium.
For more information, contact the temporary president of the IRF, Jim Trezise, at jimtrezise@nywgf.org, 585-394-3620, ext. 203 (in the United States).