It took a long time before the German wine pulled itself together again from the depth of the "sweet wave" after the Second World War, with abundantly bearing new varieties, with "Liebfraumilch" and "Blue Nun" as ambassadors in the export markets. But for a good decade now, it is back on the way to its old renown. Quality conscious producers produce Rieslings that express their terroir in a way that no other variety can, with fruit, fine density acids and pronounced mineralogy.
In the past 20 years, Riesling has increased by 5,000 hectares in Germany to 22,600 hectares of vineyard acreage and therefore taken back 1st place in the variety statistics in front of Müller-Thurgau. The most important growing area is now the Palatinate with 5,500 hectares, followed by the Mosel (5,300 hectares), Rhenish Hessen (3,900 hectares), the Rheingau (2,400 hectares), Württemberg (2,100 hectares) and Baden and the Nahe with 1,100 hectares each. More than 60% of the worldwide Riesling cultivation area is in Germany. This is followed far behind by Australia (4,256 hectares), France / Alsace (3,350), the USA (1,700), Austria (1,643), New Zealand (636), Canada (440), Chile (293) and South Africa (276).
The interest in this acidic and fresh, multi layered mineral wine by many younger consumers as an expression of modern lifestyle has been increasing for years. Just like in the home of Riesling, it is also celebrated as the "king of white wines" in the most important export market - the USA - and has equally been a success story. Since 2005, the Deutsche Weininstitut has hosted "Riesling Weeks" in restaurants and in trade, which several hundred partners right across the country are involved in. Similar promotional events now exist worldwide, from Singapore, Hong Kong and China to Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland right up to the four Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.