Riesling Archives -

Kemmeter Wines Riesling ‘One Note’ 2025 Review – Exquisite

On a recent trip to the Finger Lakes, we were told to check out Kemmeter Wines on Seneca Lake while tasting at one of our favorite producers, Boundary Breaks.

We, unfortunately, could not score a last-minute reservation here, but we did roll up and enjoy some of their delicious dumplings from their on-site kitchen (takeaway and on-site picnic tables) and grabbed a few bottles to enjoy when we got home.

Their dry Riesling was one such bottle, and we couldn't wait long before we cracked it open.

To put it bluntly, it was so good I wish we would've grabbed three!

Note: At the time of visiting, Kemmeter's Riesling seemed to have a unique menu label with one, two, or three music notes on it, seemingly corresponding to respective residual sugar levels (one being dry and three being a bit sweeter). We've seen some commentary around wines as “One Note” which points to this; however, online details are also limited- this was the driest they had available during our visit.

Before a recent trip to explore more Finger Lakes wineries, we decided to crack open one of our older Riesling bottles from one of our favorite producers- Boundary Breaks!

This bottle, their #90 Extra Dry, had been in our cellar for nearly a decade, and we were curious to see how the 2017 vintage was shaping up in 2026.

If we were going to the source to buy more, well, it felt like a good opportunity, and all we have to say is this one aged beautifully!

We are big fans of Alsatian white blends, as the flavorful grapes in the region can really offer robust and, dare we say, decadent wines.

One bottle we tried that we quite loved was Christophe Mittnacht's Terres d'etoiles Gyotaku- a blend of Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Riesling. While this one was perhaps not as intense as other Alsatian white blends we've had, it was a refreshing bottle at a reasonable price point all around.

We could get used to this!

It isn't every day we get bottles of wine from Hungary, and when we saw Pannonhalmi's Tricollis with a blend of Riesling, Welschriesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Blanc, we were in to try it.

This one hits all of the hallmark characteristics of each grape, all while being Riesling dominant!

One of our favorite things about Riesling, beyond its delicious flavor, of course, is that it can be grown just about anywhere that grapes thrive. Cold climate? Yep. Warm climate? You got it.

This means many wine regions are growing this versatile grape worth exploring, and Pegasus Bay gave us our first chance to try a bottle from North Canterbury, New Zealand.

For those who like petrol, this one had loads of it at five years of age.

We love Riesling from the Mosel valley in Germany, and one of the reasons for this is that you can often find it in an array of styles- from dry to sweet and everything in between.

One form of Riesling we often see less of is when it is made with skin contact, producing a richly colored orange wine. The skin contact often adds ample new flavors and complexities that you would otherwise not get with light pressing. Sybille Kuntz Organic Riesling was one such wine, and this one certainly packed a punch!

Normally when we think of Rieslings from the Mosel, our first thoughts are of the low ABV, often semi-sweet wines that are, well, lovely.

But it is also not a safe assumption to think that all Mosel wines are sweet. Some, like Keonard Kreusch's Mosel Riesling, may be dry or, in this case, have just a little perceptible residual sugar to push it into the off-dry territory.

We can really get into a bottle like this one!

Dr. Burklin-Wolf is a premier wine producer in the Pfalz region with a stellar portfolio of wines with a strong lean to Riesling (naturally)!

Our exposure to wines from Pfalz has historically been limited, and we were excited to try a sample of the Riesling Trocken courtesy of Wines of Germany for review.

Although this one had a bit lighter flavor intensity on the palate, it hit all the right notes for a beautiful, dry Riesling from Germany!

When we think of producers of high-quality Rieslings, our minds often go to cool climates like the Mosel in Germany or the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York.

But just because some cooler climate regions are famous for their Riesling doesn't mean this grape can't grow in warmer spots. On the contrary, it thrives all over! California-based Arista, known for some stellar Pinot Noir, has one Riesling from the Anderson Valley that we were hesitant about but fell in love with after the first sip.

If you prefer your Riesling ripe and with a robust intensity, this one is for you.

Whenever we visit Finger Lakes wineries, we always make a trip over to Keuka Lake despite arranging our trips to often be Seneca Lake heavy.

One obligatory stop for us is the aptly named Keuka Lake Vineyards for its gorgeous views and even better wine.

After letting their Riesling Evergreen Lek age in our cellar for a few years, we popped it open to discover a rather delicious wine with notable petrol and tropical character!

Kemmeter Wines Riesling ‘One Note’ 2025 Review – Exquisite

Boundary Breaks #90 Extra Dry 2017 Review – Best With Age

Christophe Mittnacht Terres d’etoiles Gyotaku 2023 Review

Pannonhalmi Tricollis 2023 Review – Hungarian White Blend

Pegasus Bay Riesling 2019 Review – Delicious Petrol

Sybille Kuntz Organic Riesling 2020 Review – Skin Contact

Leonard Kreusch Mosel Riesling 2019 Review – Off Dry

Dr. Burklin-Wolf Riesling Trocken 2022 Review – Dry Riesling

Arista Vonarburg Vineyard Riesling 2021 Review – Tropical

Keuka Lake Vineyards Riesling Evergreen Lek 2017 Review