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Believed to have originated in Germany’s Rhine Valley region, Riesling is a highly aromatic white grape variety celebrated for its delicate floral aromas and fruity notes. While Germany is the largest producer of Riesling wines, many winemakers in France, Australia, Austria, Canada, and the U.S. are also devoted to this popular varietal. It’s also produced, to a lesser extent, in Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa.
If you’re looking for a crisp and refreshing addition to your meal, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Riesling.
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Choosing the Right Bottle of Riesling
Riesling wine is generally on the more acidic side and ranges from very dry to quite sweet, so it can fit a wide range of pairings and palates. It’s also highly terroir-expressive, with bottles reflecting the climate, soil, and terrain of the region where the grapes were grown.
When Riesling is produced in cooler areas, green apple, pear, jasmine, honeysuckle, and mineral notes like stone are common, while warmer regions tend to bring out more tropical and citrusy notes. Peach, apricot, and nectarine notes pop up frequently in Rieslings produced in more moderate climates.
Australian Rieslings in particular may have a distinctive petrol or kerosene aroma – this stems from a compound called TDN, which forms as natural pigments in the grape break down due to sun exposure. This note can also pop up naturally as a Riesling ages.
Most Rieslings are consumed while the wine is still young, but a vintage Riesling can be a special (if expensive) treat.
Where to Buy Riesling: At a Glance
|
Riesling Selection |
Shipping speed |
Free Delivery? |
Perks |
Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Thatcher’s Wine |
Large |
1-10 business days |
On orders of $250+ |
Shipment protection during extreme weather; will-call pick-up in LA and Hayward, CA |
Exploring European wines |
|
Flatiron Wines & Spirits |
Large |
1-6 business days |
On orders of $149+ in Queens, Brooklyn, most of Manhattan, and San Francisco’s Financial District |
‘Hold for now’ option with free storage for up to 3 months; automatic holds for extreme weather conditions; 10% case discount |
Discovering smaller wineries |
|
Some Good Wine |
Medium |
1-10 business days |
On orders of $150+ in Manhattan and Brooklyn and $200+ in the rest of NY state |
10% case discount |
Trying natural and biodynamic wines |
|
JJ Buckley Fine Wines |
Medium |
3-14 business days |
No |
Every bottle comes with a 6-month storage credit |
Serious collectors |
|
Wine Insiders |
Small |
1-5 business days |
For 6+ bottles |
Perfect Pour Promise money-back guarantee; Walgreens/Fedex pick-up |
Everday value |
Thatcher’s Wine
Thatcher’s Wine is a respected California-based importer and bottle shop known for sourcing hard-to-find bottles, spotlighting smaller wineries, and showcasing terroir-driven European vintages selected by sommeliers with training rooted in Michelin-starred restaurants and old-world wineries.
Their enormous selection of Riesling can be filtered by price, vintage, country, region, and size, as well as by status (either in-stock or pre-arrival). Pricing ranges widely – you can pick up a crisp and juicy 2021 Bastian Beny for $40, or splurge on a 3L bottle of 2012 Keller Westhofener Brunnenhauschen Abtserde that will set you back a cool $3,250.
Alongside their online bottle shop, they offer bottle acquisition, management, and organization services to serious private collectors.
Why we like them:
- They’ll hold your order in climate-controlled storage during cold snaps and heat waves
- You can submit custom shipping requests regarding the timeline and temperature control of your order
- Will-call pick-up is offered at their shop in Los Angeles and their warehouse in Hayward
Flatiron Wines & Spirits
Flatiron Wines & Spirits is a highly reputable bicoastal independent wine shop that celebrates artisanal wines and small-batch spirits. They snagged a gold medal in the ‘German List’ category for the Wine-Searcher Retail Awards in 2026, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 (they took silver in 2025).
They carry hundreds of options for Riesling lovers, including the dry and spicy 2024 Florian & Mathilde Beck-Hartweg, a biodynamic Alsatian creation. In addition to their retail shop, they also curate corporate and client gifts, including rare bottles and small-batch bourbon. Their monthly wine club comes in two different flavors – ‘Côte to Côte’ focuses on Burgundies while ‘Extra Brut’ explores Champagne.
Why we like them:
- You get a 10% case discount when you buy 12+ bottles
- Their newsletter offers great stories about their bottles and subscriber-only discounts
- They’re careful about shipping in high heat and take steps to protect your bottles
Some Good Wine
Some Good Wine is a NYC-based retailer that offers, as they say, a “strenuously handpicked selection of wine and spirits” and prioritizes quality and artisanal spirit over commercial appeal. Natural and orange wines are prominently featured on their website, and they carry the largest selection of Corsican wines in the country.
A silver medal winner in the Wine-Searcher Retail Awards German List category back in 2022, they have dozens of Rieslings, mostly from Germany and mostly in the $35-$55 range. If you’re interested in trying a natural Riesling, their natty options include the 2021 Red Tail Ridge Petillant Naturel by Independence Wine.
Unfortunately, their website lacks filters beyond price and availability, so you may have to wade through multiple pages to find what you’re looking for. They offer free shipping for $150+ orders in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and $200+ orders in the rest of the state.
Why we like them:
- You get a 10% case discount when you buy 12+ bottles
- Free same-day local delivery in Greenwich Village/Union Square in NYC
JJ Buckley Fine Wines
JJ Buckley Fine Wines is an online retailer that’s been around since 2006, offering premium and collectible wines, professional storage, and consultation services. They carry both in-stock and pre-arrival wines sourced directly from wineries.
While they specialize in wines from Bordeaux, their Riesling selection is nothing to sneeze at. You’ll find dozens of bottles ranging from around $20 to over $300, including the highly rated, dazzlingly tropical 2023 Schloss Johannisberg Purpurlack with its lovely notes of papaya, mangosteen, candied lemon, and saffron.
If you’re local to Oakland, California, you can pick up your order for free – appointment-only customer pick-up is available on weekdays.
Why we like them:
- Every bottle you buy earns you a 6-month storage credit at their temperature-controlled facility
Wine Insiders
Wine Insiders carries wines from around the world, chosen by a panel of professional sommeliers and winemakers. While their Riesling selection is far smaller than others on this list, they offer dry, off-dry, and sweet styles and their bottles are carefully selected to offer great value, like the 2024 Süßen Off-Dry Riesling with its tropical aromas and crisp apple and citrus notes, and the 2024 Modernist Dry Riesling, which leans deeply into soft peach, pear, and apricot.
By cultivating direct relationships with their winery partners, Wine Insiders keeps pricing affordable without sacrificing quality, giving their customers access to award-winning wines for reasonable prices.
In addition to their à la carte selection and curated cases, they have a quarterly 12-bottle club with an intro offer of 15 bottles for $99. All bottles come with a money-back guarantee that takes the stress out of experimenting, and orders of 6+ bottles ship free.
Why we like them:
- They offer fair pricing with no retail markup
- With their Perfect Pour Promise, you get a full refund if you don’t love a bottle
- You can ship to FedEx or Walgreens locations across the country if home delivery isn’t convenient and your wine can be held there up to 5 days
How to Get the Most Bang Out of Your Bottle
Ideal Serving Temperatures
- Dry Riesling: serve between 48 – 52°F (9°C – 11°C)
- Off-Dry Riesling: serve between 45°F – 48°F (7°C – 9°C)
- Very Sweet Riesling: serve between 45°F – 50°F (7°C – 10°C)
Once opened, consume dry Riesling within 3-5 days, and sweeter bottles within a week. Refrigerate after opening.
Pairings
Dry Rieslings pair well with seafood, shellfish, pork, chicken, salads, roasted vegetables, and nutty goat cheeses. Off-dry Rieslings complement spicy Asian dishes perfectly, creating a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic. They also work well with roasted duck or sausage. A sweeter Riesling is a great match for fruity desserts, bold blue cheeses, and salty Parmesan.
Enjoy!
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