Welschriesling

Not to be confused with riesling, welschriesling, a white wine grape, flourishes in Central and Eastern Europe. welschriesling does particularly well in Austria, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It's believed that welschriesling first arrived in Central Europe with the Romans. The Burgenland area of Austria continues to produce some of the finest examples of welschriesling today.

The application of welschriesling varies depending on the region. In Romania, welschriesling transforms into a late-harvest and sparkling wine. In Austria’s Weinvertiel region, these grapes are used to make bubbly. Dry wines are created with welschriesling in Slovenia, referred to as "Italian riesling."

Welschriesling grapes need some moisture, as too much dryness could bar shoots from appearing on the vine. On the palate, welschriesling is a dry wine with floral notes and expressive stone-fruit flavors.

Quick Facts

• Also called Grasevina, welschriesling is the most widely planted wine grape in Croatia
• There are about 30 synonyms for the welschriesling grape, including riesling vlashskii, welsch rizling, and talijanski riesling
• Welschriesling is sometimes used to produce sparkling wine