Dry Rieslings get no respect

Americans love their chardonnay, the United States' best seller. Chardonnays usually have fuller bodies, oaking and large character.

Rieslings, though, rarely have oak tastes, tend to have a lighter body and often a refreshing taste.

The usual knock on Rieslings is that they are sweet wines. That can be true, but many are also quite dry. Rieslings from Alsace tend to be dry. German Rieslings with the word "trocken" on them are dry as are the American wines with "dry Riesling" on the label.

Rieslings can have a great range in taste and style. Some are minerally, some flowery, some fruity. You have to experiment to find the ones you like.

I asked the wine tasters to compare five dry Rieslings. Here are our findings:

- 2000 Slatestone Dry Riesling at $11.99. This one had the darkest, most golden color of the five. It was made in a mineral, not fruity, style. But there were nice hints of apricots. It was rich in the mouth, with a viscous texture, making for a good mouthful. The finish was crisp and clean, making it a good food wine. The Slatestone finished second in our tasting.

- 2002 Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Dry Riesling at $10.99. OK, it has a screw cap, but Bonny Doon has boasted about its use of screw caps to avoid the possible tainting by a cork. The Bonny Doon had a floral and gorgeous perfume aroma, reminding us of orange blossom and honeysuckle. On the palate, we tasted lilacs, along with mandarin orange and tangerine. This Riesling had good, bright acids and a sparkling taste and tingle. It ranked first in the tasting.

- 2002 Lake Chalice Riesling at $14.99. We retasted this wine after the first bottle proved to be off and lacking in fruit. The second bottle was very nice, showing lime, citrus fruits and pears, with a hint of minerals. It was a bone-dry wine, with lime on the finish. It would make a nice food wine.

- 2001 Waimea Estates Dry Riesling at $14.99. This New Zealand Riesling had an unusual aroma, oily with a lemon twist. It had the least acidity of the four, and it was not well-balanced.

- 2000 Jean-Baptiste Adam Dry Riesling at $14.99. This Alsatian wine had a juicy fruit aroma with hints of minerals and a smell that reminded us of vitamins. In the mouth, we found tastes of candied fruit.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2002 Morgan Sauvignon Blanc at $14. This wine smelled of herbs, citrus, lavender and honey. The citrus flavor was softened by floral and melon notes in the mouth followed by crisp acids, producing a nicely balanced wine.

- 2002 Hahn Estates Cabernet Sauvignon at $14. This wine has scents of black cherries with hints of anise and cedar. It tasted of juicy, ripe dark fruits and raspberry with a touch of tobacco on the end. It was well-balanced with good tannins and would go well with a rack of lamb.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor