LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2015

REIF ESTATES REIF HAS BEENGROWING RIESLING SINCE THE 1970S

E wald Reif was one of Niagara’s wine pioneers, buying land near the Niagara River in 1977 and planting vinifera vines, including Riesling, the following year. His nephew, Klaus, came from Germany to help and in 1987, armed with a degree in wine- making from the Geisenheim Institute, Klaus bought Reif Estate from his uncle. Since then, the winery has become justifiably famous for

and perfectly integrated, with gorgeous notes of fennel and honeysuckle. “Not unlike winemak- ers,” muses Reif. “We just get better with age.”     Reif’s current Riesling is a blend of three different clones—mostly Geisenheim with some Weis 21b and another from Alsace. “With a mix of vines of different ages,” points out DiDomenico, “it all adds to the complexity of the wine.” No wonder Reif Riesling has been a popular constant on LCBO shelves for 30 years!

the long-aged Tesoro reds made by winemaker Roberto DiDomenico, but both he and Klaus Reif remain ardent Riesling enthusiasts. “It’s the king of white wines,” says Reif, “and there is nothing better for food. If you’re not sure what to open with your dinner, reach for Riesling. Eighty percent of the time, you’re bang on.”     And how beautifully it ages! Up in the win- ery’s splendidly furnished private tasting room, we open a 1992. It’s lean and smooth, vibrant

VIVE LA DIFFERENCE!

We hate to generalize but you really can tell them apart. In any given year, Rieslings from the sloping benchlands of the escarpment tend to be sharper with prominent citrus and minerality. Rieslings from the plains around Niagara-on-the-Lake seem weightier, not as acidic, with aro- mas of apple and peach. One reason has to do with different Riesling clones in the vineyards; another is a reflection of different soils—deep, light sandy topsoil over soft red shale down on the plain, heavy clay on the hard limestone bench. And the plain is a tad warmer, which trans- lates as slightly less acidity and a fuller body.     “Riesling reflects its terroir like a mirror,” explains Klaus Reif. “You can’t say one is better than the other. Some people prefer this; others that.” And some of us love any kind of well-made, beautifully balanced Riesling, no matter where in Niagara it’s from.

RIESLING ON THE BENCH AND ON THE PLAIN

WINEMAKER IMAGE: STOCK PHOTO © YINYANG; REIF IMAGES COURTESY OF REIF WINERY; PHOTO OPPOSITE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CIBO WINE BAR, TORONTO

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