Introduction

Even though it is only the 20^thmost widely grown grape in the world, it is still the 3^rd most important white wine grape in terms of quality wines, ranking after Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling originated in Rhine Valley in Germany with its earliest written reference dating back to the 15^th Century. Today it is widely grown in Germany, Alsace in France followed by significant plantations in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Luxembourg, etc. It is most commonly grown in colder regions and locations.