Drinking Hyland Vineyard Riesling Is Like Lemon Meringue Pie Served with Chamomile Tea

The result is something like lemon meringue pie served with chamomile tea: complex, not unsweet but never saccharine, and altogether memorable.

German rieslings boast one of the most confounding classification systems known to man, and that can be a serious turnoff to casual wine drinkers. So let's just say the Hyland Vineyard riesling made by former Heathman sommelier James Rahn—who now sets the wine lists at new spots Rue and Quaintrelle—is a little bit sweet, without being cloying.

Related: Take your preconceived notions about sommeliers and put a cork in them.

Even in the strong company of the Southeast Wine Collective's many other small winemakers, the humble German-style offerings from Rahn's eponymous brand stand out. His own tasting notes for this riesling include "pineapple and preserved lemon" on the palate, with "dried peach and damp bread dough" in the nose. But for me, the experience of drinking it is like a pleasant give-and-take between the wine's inherent acidity—think peach pith—and sweetness from residual sugar.

Related: We tested 11 grocery-store-bought Oregon rieslings.

The result is something like lemon meringue pie served with chamomile tea: complex, not unsweet but never saccharine, and altogether memorable. And at just 11.1 percent ABV, even a bottle won't put you on your back. Recommended.

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