Date 25 February 2027
Time 18:00–20:30
Venue Manchester Wine School, Northern Quarter, Manchester
Price £55 per person (includes all wines and cheese)

The line-up

Wine Notes
Mosel Riesling Kabinett Light, off-dry, slate soils, 8–9% abv
Mosel Riesling Spätlese Richer off-dry, steep vineyard, petrol note beginning
Rheingau Riesling Trocken Dry, fuller-bodied, quartzite and loess soils
Rheinhessen Riesling GG (Grosses Gewächs) Dry, top-site classification, mineral and intense
Pfalz Riesling Trocken Dry, warmer climate, rounder and more fruit-forward
Nahe Riesling Auslese Sweet, volcanic and slate soils, honeyed complexity

What the session covers

The session opens with a brief decoding of the German wine label — the Prädikat system, the meaning of trocken and halbtrocken, and how to identify a Grosses Gewächs. The tasting then moves chronologically through the sweetness spectrum: starting with the two Mosel wines (Kabinett and Spätlese) to establish the foundational Mosel style on steep slate, then contrasting dry Rheingau and Rheinhessen for the trocken expression of the variety, before finishing with the warmer Pfalz and the final sweet Nahe Auslese. The presenter will address the common misconception that German Riesling is simply sweet. For background, the Riesling guide covers the variety's character and key regions in depth.

Suitable for all levels of wine experience, including those who have previously avoided German wine due to uncertainty about sweetness. The how to taste wine guide is recommended reading before the event.