A closer look at Terry Theise Riesling

The easiest way to purchase one of the finest Rieslings available in the U.S. is to ask your wine merchant for a Terry Theise Estate Selection.

To be clear: this is not McWine, with flavors manipulated to satisfy the widest audience. These are wines of unique character that stimulate enjoyment and intellect, wines that get you thinking, "How do they make a little grape taste like that?"

Like a perfectly ripe, juice-dripping nectarine. Like pure spring water. Like a savory garam masala. Like something you've never tasted before but tastes like heaven.

If you'd ask that question of Theise or his winegrowers, you'd receive stymied stares. "We don't make wine taste like anything. Our soil and climate do that. God does that."

In fact, during the recent Theise portfolio tasting in Chicago, producers introduced themselves not with the standard "I am Johannes" or "Sebastian," but with "our soil is red slate and limestone. Would you like to taste?"

Red slate and limestone, quartzite and sandstone, loess and primary rock … the words are music to a riesling lover's ear.

We know that mineral-rich soil - like the steep sloped German vineyards - express riesling of distinctive quality, with flavors including stone fruit and citrus, green tea and balsam, all stretched crystal-thin over a firm mineral core.

In the 1950s, German wine became a favorite on America's table for a smiling Blue Nun and her sugary sweetness. In 1971, Germany enacted wine laws to recognize growers who achieved the unadulterated sweetness of perfectly-ripened grapes - a neat trick in Germany's northerly climate.

Today, however, American tourists in Germany's restaurants and Gastestatte may not be able to purchase the wines they enjoy back home in the States.

Theise reports an "omnipresence" of dry wines within Germany. "The single most important word on a German label today is 'Trocken,'" he says, "It means DRY." (The emphasis is all Terry.) For instance:

"Estate" riesling Trocken, Weingut Kunstler (Rheingau, Germany; about $25), leads with brown spice aromas that evolve to nearly-ripe stone fruit and green apple flavor for an elegant cocktail and complement to richly-flavored but lighter dishes, such as salads with creamy dressing.

Hochheimer Domdechaney riesling Trocken, Weingut Kunstler (Rheingau, Germany) - Thank goodness Theise can put this lavish wine to words, including "a mosaic of minerals", "meat spicy umami", "clove and pink peppercorns", when this reporter can only be amazed that a wine so delicate in the mouth is so powerful in flavor. (Ask your fine wine merchant for pricing.)

For wider flexibility at the dinner table, look for a riesling Feinherb. "The sugar is as good as invisible," explains Theise. "It's extending the fruit, increasing the aroma, dancing with the sweetness in your food. But you do not taste it."

Niersteiner Oelberg riesling Feinherb "Roter Schiefer", Strub (Rheinhessen, Germany) - The aroma of pure rainwater, with deep and long stone fruit flavor and round finish. (Ask your fine wine merchant for pricing.)

Also from Strub is the slightly sweeter and more widely-available "Soil to Soul" riesling (about $16), with flavors of ginger, lime and herbs, Johannes Strub's personal favorite quaff with Wiener schnitzel.

If you've memorized the 1971 law and its ladder of sweetness, don't despair. Theise offers the full range from off-dry Kabinetts to nectar-like Trockenbeerenauslese.

For a real stunner, ask for 2003 Soberheimer Marbach riesling Spatlese, Hexamer (Nahe, Germany) with dense texture and remarkable purity, but not a hint of age after twelve years maturation. The wine was snatched up by sommeliers, so look for it on fine wine lists. Watch for arrival of 2001

Hexamer Meddersheimer Altenberg riesling Hochgewächs in mid-September.

According to Theise, "When tasting Hexamer wines, one sees the purity of the vineyards, the intensity of minerality and remarkable clarity. The wines are balanced in the ultraviolet spectrum; they're steely, acid-driven, clean and transparent."

Between limited availability, unique styles and complex labels, consumers may find it difficult to ask for these wines by name. My advice, you only need to remember two words: Terry Theise.

• Write to Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross at food@daily herald.com.

Ross' choice

Name: "Winnings" Riesling

Region: Pfalz, Germany

Producer: Von Winning

Vintage: 2014

Availability: Under-$20 at fine wine shops and wine & liquor chains

Distributed by: Robert Houde Wines, Chicago

For those who want a story: The wine is crafted under supervision of Hans-Gunter Schwarz, who transformed the Muller-Catoir winery (and with it, Germany's wine zeitgeist) from obscurity to monumental quality, coaxed from retirement by a coalition including Thiese.

For those who want a deal: "Winnings" shares the meticulous winery and expertise of von Winning, whose wines fetch five times "Winnings" 's price, with no complaint from cognoscenti.

For those who want a delicious drink: Ginger, pineapple and tropical fruits, harmoniously dry and "insanely versatile at the table," says Thiese. With Chicagoland delivery expected in mid-September, I'll be calling my wine merchant soon with an order.