Delicious riesling is grown in many areas throughout the United States. Here are five from some of the top areas. Our Greatest Value of the Week is the Barnard Griffin Riesling 2017 from Washington state’s Columbia Valley, a nice instance of what this region does with the grape. We also have a stellar bottle from the Finger Lakes, a Napa Valley holdout against cabernet sauvignon, and two nice examples from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
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Great value
Barnard Griffin Riesling 2017
Two-and-a-half stars
Columbia Valley, Washington, $12
Washington state’s Columbia Valley tends to showcase a ripe, fruity profile of riesling. This lovely bottling from Barnard Griffin is exemplary, with peach and a hint of mango, as well as some lime and orange zest to lend tension and keep the wine in balance. Bravo! Alcohol by volume: 12.2 percent. (Other favorite Washington rieslings: Eroica, Efeste, Poet’s Leap.)
Distributed by Winebow.
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Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Dry Riesling 2017
Three stars
Seneca Lake, New York, $22
This wine, from one of the pioneer wineries along Seneca Lake in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region, never disappoints. It weaves a filigree of lime zest, apricot and peach across the palate; think of that feeling when you try on something that fits as if it was tailor-made for you. ABV: 12 percent. (Other favorite Finger Lakes rieslings: Anthony Road, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Keuka Spring, Ravines, Red Tail Ridge.)
Distributed by Bacchus and Hop & Wine.
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Smith-Madrone Riesling 2016
Three stars
Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California, $32
Napa Valley is the land of cabernet, but Smith-Madrone, on Spring Mountain at the valley’s northern end, steadfastly maintains some of its higher-elevation…