The 30 Best Rieslings for 2026

Riesling is one of the wine world’s more divisive grapes, but that’s only because it’s so versatile. It can be hit-the-brakes sweet or vibrantly dry; racy and angular or soft and round. So if you think you don’t like Riesling, chances are you just haven’t found “the one” yet.

To help you find your match, we compiled a selection of 30 bottles that showcase the grape’s full range. This list covers Rieslings from New York and California to Germany and Austria, with some delicious stops in Australia and the Pacific Northwest. It also features bone-dry expressions as well as some demi-sec and slightly sweet bottlings. But don’t let an off-dry wine deter you from exploring what this grape has to offer. Each wine on this list is wonderfully balanced in its own right.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a superfan, there’s a bottle on this list for you. Here are the 30 best Rieslings to try in 2026.

Why You Should Trust VinePair

Every year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our “Buy This Booze” product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.

Within this scope, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This ensures we have a close eye on what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also provides us with the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great, whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective — or both.

Ultimately, our mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking.

How We Taste

We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.

VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates every wine on its aromas, flavors, structure, balance, and quality. We also consider whether or not the wine showed typicity for its specific grape or region.

How We Compiled This List

In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best Rieslings to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.

For the Riesling roundup, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based on the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list that meets our criteria of best Rieslings to buy right now. Each wine was assessed on quality, price, and availability to compile the final list.

The Best Value Riesling

A to Z Wineworks A to Z Riesling 2022

With so many options under $20, this bottle is a standout that you should grab whenever you see it. Its wide availability makes it an ideal last-minute choice for a Riesling craving or a quick food pairing. It’s made with fruit sourced from across Oregon, including the Rogue and Applegate Valley sub-AVAs and the Columbia Gorge. The wine opens with light floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle alongside lime zest, lemon curd, and melon. The palate is slightly sweet, with juicy citrus and tropical fruit notes. It’s not an overly complex or nuanced take on Riesling, but it’s an approachable, well-balanced introduction to the variety.

Average price: $16
Rating: 90

The Best Splurge Riesling

Apollo’s Praise The Knoll Dry Riesling 2024

Esteemed winemaker Kelby James Russell and partner Julia Rose Hoyle started Apollo’s Praise when they acquired the Lahoma Vineyard in 2023. The 20-acre site on the west side of Seneca Lake is known for its complex, high-acid expressions of Riesling, and this particular bottling comes from “The Knoll,” a small, sandstone hill that produces particularly concentrated wine.

This Riesling is an excellent example of how the Finger Lakes can produce dynamic, site-specific wines. This “bottled microclimate” features honeysuckle, ripe peaches, and tropical fruit notes. The palate offers bold fruit notes balanced by a slate-like minerality.

Average price: $75
Rating: 92

The Best of the Rest

The Best Rieslings Under $25

Fox Run Vineyards Lake Dana Riesling 2023

Vintage after vintage, Fox Run proves that Riesling belongs in the Finger Lakes. This bottling features a floral nose with hints of petrol, river rock, and pear. The palate is round and vibrant, showing great depth and an impressive balance of fruit and acidity.

Average price: $15
Rating: 94

Kiona Vineyards Riesling 2023

This Washington State Riesling is sourced from the oldest vines on Red Mountain — a site planted in 1975 by Kiona Estate’s founders. Grapes from the 50-year-old vines are blended with fruit from cooler sites across the Columbia Valley and a splash of Gewürztraminer, lending to a rich and complex wine that offers soft notes of beeswax, white flowers, and baked apples. On the palate, it’s viscous and deep, with racy acidity that cuts through the lush, honeyed fruit.

Average price: $15
Rating: 95

Selbach ‘Incline’ Riesling 2023

From the steep slopes of Germany’s Mosel region, Johannes Selbach’s “Incline” Riesling is aptly named. This crisp, stainless steel-aged wine features a waxy, floral nose with hints of honey. The palate expertly balances vibrant acidity with a touch of residual sugar. At under $20, this is an excellent, affordable BYOB choice.

Average price: $15
Rating: 92

Wagner Vineyards Semi-Dry Riesling 2022

This quintessential Finger Lakes Riesling is made with a blend of fruit from four vineyard sites, including some of the estate’s oldest vines. It offers an inviting nose with notes of waxy apples and fresh citrus. The palate is both calm and vibrant with a pleasant pop of sweetness.

Average price: $16
Rating: 93

Johnson Estate Winery Sweet Riesling 2023

A classic example of the Lake Erie style, this sweet Riesling opens on the nose with complex aromatics of tropical fruit and green apple. The palate is soft and weighty but the bright acidity ensures the sweetness is never overwhelming.

Average price: $17
Rating: 92

Stadt Krems Kremstal Riesling 2024

One of the oldest wineries in Austria, Stadt Krems was first established in 1452 to help raise funds for the hospital of Krems. This entry-level bottle is a great example of a classic dry Austrian Riesling, making it a perfect introduction to the category. It offers a delicate nose of orchard fruit and minerals, and the palate is refreshing and easygoing.

Average price: $20
Rating: 92

A.J. Adam Dhron ‘Im Pfarrgarten’ Riesling Feinherb 2024

This Mosel Riesling is sourced from a vineyard plot planted in the 1960s that used to house a fruit and vegetable garden for the village church — the wine’s name actually translates to “the Garden of the Rectory.” It opens with petrol, pear, and floral aromas on the nose. The palate is crisp but full of juicy fruit, allowing the acidity to run wild while remaining perfectly balanced.

Average price: $21
Rating: 92

Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Hommage à Luise Riesling 2024

Hailing from Wachenheim in the Pfalz, one of Germany’s warmest regions, this estate produces lush, beautiful wines. This bottling features subtle petrol, floral hints, and minerality. The palate is soft — at just 9 percent ABV — and filled with juicy citrus notes of grapefruit, orange zest, and lemon curd.

Average price: $23
Rating: 94

Anthony Road Wine Company Dry Riesling 2022

This classic Finger Lakes Riesling opens with the grape’s signature bold, petrol-dominated nose (in the best way). The palate delivers that cool, crisp, mineral-driven acidity alongside crunchy green apple and lime notes. Seamlessly balancing fruit and acidity, this wine offers a soft grip and impressive depth.

Average price: $23
Rating: 93

The Best Rieslings Under $50

Knewitz Riesling Trocken 2024

The Knewitz family has been making wine in Appenheim, a small village in Germany’s Rheinhessen region, since the 19th century. This dry expression offers savory, herbaceous notes alongside classic apple and bruised pear. Bright and refreshing, it finishes with a clean, even texture.

Average price: $25
Rating: 92

Three Brothers Wineries and Estates Riesling Clone #110 2024

Highlighting the Finger Lakes’ status as a premier cool-climate zone, this clone-specific Riesling expression offers a sophisticated nose of minerals, white flowers, aloe, and honey. The mouthfeel is exceptionally balanced, featuring focused fruit and bracing acidity.

Average price: $25
Rating: 95

Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2024

Grown on steep, south-facing slate slopes in the Nahe, these vines benefit from gentle morning sun. The result is a lively nose of tart orchard fruit, honey, and white flowers. On the palate, it’s refreshing and light-footed at just 9 percent ABV, and the residual sugar is kept perfectly in check by vibrant acidity.

Average price: $28
Rating: 92

Weingut Schmitt Freiheit Riesling 2023

In the sun-drenched hills of Germany’s Rheinhessen, Bianka and Daniel Schmitt produce various styles, including Merlot, but this Riesling is truly captivating. It offers a beautiful balance of depth and leanness, featuring aromas of lime oil, freshly squeezed grapefruit, and white pepper. This complexity carries through to the palate, with tropical fruit notes of pineapple and green mango sharpened by bone-dry acidity.

Average price: $28
Rating: 95

Bründlmayer Kamptal Terrassen Riesling 2024

Riesling thrives on the stony, terraced vineyards of Austria’s Kamptal region. This wine is driven by minerals with notes of apples, peaches, and a hint of petrol. The palate is grippy and intense, with enough concentrated fruit to stand up to searing acidity.

Average price: $28
Rating: 91

Willems-Willems Saar Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2023

This historic estate in Germany’s cool, wind-swept Saar valley has been managed by women of the Willems family for five generations. This bottling features a floral nose with hints of zesty citrus. It’s lean and quaffable on the palate at just 10 percent ABV, with delicate orchard fruit notes and a dazzling minerality.

Average price: $28
Rating: 92

Hiedler Langenlois Riesling 2023

A traditional, family-run estate since 1856, the wines from Weingut Hiedler are a clear expression of the Kamptal’s terroir. This bright, zippy Riesling opens with notes of crunchy green apples and citrus zest. The palate is defined by its stony minerality and racy acidity, which are perfectly matched by concentrated fruit notes.

Average price: $30
Rating: 92

Glen Hollow Vineyard Dry Riesling 2024

Winemaker Jordan Harris’s inaugural vintage is a triumph. This Glen Hollow Riesling is new to the Finger Lakes scene, but the expressive wine is already up there with the best of the region. It’s aged in a combination of 50 percent stainless steel and 50 percent neutral oak, adding layers of bright, lean fruit and a more rounded texture. It pops with verdant notes of green apple and lime, accompanied by a wet-slate minerality.

Average price: $30
Rating: 94

Ridgecrest Estate Dry Riesling 2024

Ridgecrest Estate sustainably farms 40 acres in the Willamette Valley’s Ribbon Ridge AVA, including just four acres of Riesling. This uniquely Oregonian expression of the variety features a calm, lean nose of petrol, rocks, and honey. The palate is big, round, and juicy, balanced by a breezy acidity.

Average price: $30
Rating: 92

Wölffer Estate Vineyard Grapes of Roth Virgin Berry Riesling 2021

A Long Island Riesling with some age? Sign us up. Grapes of Roth is the personal label of Wölffer Estate’s longtime winemaker Roman Roth. The term “virgin berry” used on the label refers to the small, seedless grapes that develop as a result of vine stress. These grapes tend to be extra concentrated, leading to brightly aromatic wines jam-packed with flavor. This bottling is honeyed and floral with juicy green apple and apricot notes and a complex finish.

Average price: $32
Rating: 94

Trestle Thirty One Demi-Sec Riesling 2023

This innovative Finger Lakes Riesling is made with fruit sourced from two vineyard sites, aged in stainless steel and a small percentage of Acacia oak. It opens with notes of aloe, honeysuckle, and river rocks. The palate is calm, using just enough residual sugar to soften the variety’s natural austerity.

Average price: $32
Rating: 93

Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling 2024

Australia’s Eden Valley is famous for dry, high-acid Rieslings. This bottling from Henschke is named after Peggy’s Hill, a local landmark found between Eden Valley and Keyneton. It’s a precise, focused expression of the variety with green apple, minerals, and white pepper.

Average price: $33
Rating: 95

Hillick & Hobbs Estate Dry Riesling 2023

We’ve long been fans of the wines from Hillick & Hobbs, the Finger Lakes-based project from renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs, and they did it again with the 2023 dry Riesling. It has a calm nose with notes of stone fruit and citrus. The palate goes a bit deeper, with concentrated notes of roasted apple, fresh herbs, and lemon curd.

Average price: $35
Rating: 95

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Margrit Dry Riesling 2024

To drink this wine is to taste American wine history. Dr. Konstantin Frank pioneered cool-climate viticulture in New York, and this bottling continues that legacy. Sourced from a single plot on the winery’s Seneca Lake estate, this Riesling delivers crunchy green apple, ripe melon, and lime leaf notes with a stony minerality. The palate is serene, featuring medium fruit depth and supportive acidity.

Average price: $40
Rating: 94

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Josef Vineyard Riesling 2024

Sourced from vines planted in 1974, this single-vineyard Riesling is one of the most expressive in the Finger Lakes. Grapes from this site are harvested after longer hang times, resulting in richly concentrated fruit. The result is a generous wine with bold notes of apricot, pineapple, and spice. The extra touch of residual sugar lends to a weighty mouthfeel, moderated by bright acidity.

Average price: $45
Rating: 94

Cobb Wines Vonarburg Vineyard Riesling 2024

This Riesling comes from the Vonarburg Vineyard, a small, two-acre site in California’s Anderson Valley. The cool climate here makes it a particularly suitable spot for Riesling, and the result is really compelling. It has a rich, waxy texture with notes of aloe, ginger, and sliced golden apples.

Average price: $45
Rating: 92

Schäfer-Fröhlich Vulkangestein Riesling 2022

Named for the volcanic rock soils of Germany’s Nahe region, this wine delivers that mineral intensity. The grapes were sourced from a plot of older vines, leading to a complex, layered expression of Riesling. It has a concentrated profile of petrol, citrus, and crushed rock. The palate is wonderfully balanced, with a persistent, stony finish.

Average price: $46
Rating: 94

The Best Rieslings Under $100

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2023

A legendary name from the Mosel, J.J. Prüm is known for elegance and aging potential. This Spätlese is sourced from the winery’s prestigious Wehlener Sonnenuhr site, located on steep, slate-based soils. It offers ripe melon and mango notes with soft hints of petrol and orange blossom. It is rich and complex, with just enough sweetness to complement its great acidity.

Average price: $85
Rating: 93

Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Silberlack Grosses Gewächs 2021

Hailing from the “cradle of Riesling,” this historic Rheingau estate produces a wine of great depth. Notes of wet slate, petrol, ginger, and spice lead into a rich, focused palate where the mineral elements are seamlessly integrated into the ripe, tropical fruit notes.

Average price: $90
Rating: 93

FAQs

What regions make good Riesling?

Riesling tends to thrive in cool-climate nations and regions like Germany, Alsace, Austria, Australia’s Eden Valley, and the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Many of the world’s best Rieslings come from vineyards located at high altitudes or on steep slopes, giving the grapes the perfect balance of cool temperatures and sun exposure. Many of the great Riesling regions also feature slate soils, like Germany’s Mosel region. The style can vary between each of these all-star regions, so it’s worth exploring all of them to find your favorite.

How can I tell if a Riesling will be dry or sweet?

Germany has a long history of Riesling production, so the country has a specific labeling system that indicates the residual sugar levels in the wine. Typically, if the wine has “trocken” on the label, that means the wine is dry. Other terms like “halbtrocken” and “feinherb” are used to indicate an off-dry wine, and “liebliche” or “süss” signals a sweet wine. Outside Germany, many regions like the Finger Lakes have started to include “dry” or “off-dry” on the labels, or include the residual sugar level on the back. When in doubt, check the alcohol level of the bottle, if it is 12 percent or higher, that tends to mean the wine is dry, and if the wine is 8 to 10 percent alcohol, that can indicate there’s some sweetness.

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