Reflections on Riesling from FLXcursion

I recently had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite wine regions, the Finger Lakes, for FLXcursion, a Riesling expo for (vaccinated) wine geeks. After some brief hesitation over my busy July calendar, I accepted the invitation because I knew that this event was something I couldn’t miss—and I was right. At FLXcursion we learned, listened, discussed, laughed, bonded, explored, and, of course, crushed scads of delicious Riesling across days of seminars, tours, tastings, and activities. We were spoiled with incredible wines and foods at the highest standard. But what’s stayed at the top of my mind following the event are the more serious topics facing the wine industry. Things like climate change, diversity, inclusion, and consumer preferences.

To the credit of FLXcursion organizers, the thought-provoking program enabled important industry discussions both formally on stage and informally between participants. I came away with many things to think about; I think and hope we all did. None of the topics were new though. No, they have been percolating for years. The difference at this venue was the candor and productivity of conversations. While it’s true that lasting impact is realized in the long term, I left FLXcursion feeling informed, invigorated, and motivated.

The other unique element was the star of the show: Riesling. It’s hard to craft an agenda around important, weighty topics, and it’s harder still to tie them together with a single thread… I mean, grape. But at a Riesling conference there must be Riesling! And so there was an effective and engaging Riesling lens on wine, environment, and community. It helped put issues into perspective—and it kept our palates happy. There were moments of thoughtful pause, serious considerations of wine, and lighthearted jokes about keeping ProNamel toothpaste in business after the many glasses of high-acid Riesling.

Below you’ll find a combination of recap and reflection. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or a wine expert, we all play a role in slowing climate change, fostering diversity and inclusion, and championing Riesling.

Can cool climate Riesling thrive in a warming world?

Perhaps the most prominent theme of the expo, there were several sessions dedicated to the topic of climate change, disruption, and impact. We visited an organic farm focused on biodiversity, walked Sawmill Creek vineyard sloping down to Seneca Lake, and listened to expert-led panels with titles like “The Wines We’ve Lost” and “Riesling, Wet and Dry, the Present Climate.” These activities had something in common: a strong undercurrent of climate change-induced anxiety. I left with thoughts and questions. Is Riesling a bellwether for how climate change will impact the wine landscape? Will Riesling push to the global fringes to find the coolness it craves? Or will hot climate Riesling become the norm? Among the wines we tasted was Calder Wine Company’s 2017 Dry Riesling from Rutherford, an example of a ripe Riesling from a dry, warm appellation. It was a rich, textural wine, but as we learned, it is essentially a passion project as California Riesling is not exactly in high demand. Perhaps we will have to adopt this style more broadly if we want Riesling to survive, given climate disruption. I’m not an expert on the topic, but these are the things I wonder.

Who has been excluded from the Riesling conversation?

Another big topic was diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). I feel fortunate and grateful that my corporate “day job” offers extensive training on DEI, unconscious bias, and subtle acts of exclusion, but I know this type of education is lacking in most spaces of the professional wine world. I applaud FLXcursion organizers for putting it front and center and for inviting people to share their perspectives and experiences. “A Seat at the Table” with Etinosa Emokpae of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, Sarita Cheaves and Glynis Hill of Swirl Suite, Carlos Aguilera of Stick and Stone Farm, and Bill Jensen of Tail Up Goat was particularly illuminating. The dynamic group of wine experts offered personal anecdotes from sweet wine-related racism to ignorant encounters in restaurants. They also generously provided advice for creating a more inclusive wine culture and community. For example, ask open questions about others’ wine preferences—don’t assume you know what they will like based on preconceived ideas. Simple acts like this are a start.

In a similar spirit, “Terroir and the Age of the Internet” focused on barriers to entry. Panelists Leslie Frelow of Swirl Suite, Amanda Joffee of Shitty Wine Memes, Allison Slute of Cab Franc Chronicles, and Bill Jensen along with moderator Maiah Johnson Dunn discussed the virtues and hurdles of online wine education and tastings, a topic I’m personally passionate about and happy to see get attention.

In addition to being a moderator and all-around cool person, Maiah is also a writer who just recently published an article about the steps that Wagner Vineyards has taken to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Finger Lakes. During the panel that Maiah led, we had the opportunity to taste Wagner’s 2019 Caywood East Vineyard Riesling, a lemony, peachy wine with bright acidity. It’s a nuanced wine you can feel good about, coming from a team of DEI allies.

Is Riesling destined to be an underdog forever?

With all of this talk about Riesling it’s almost easy to forget that it’s an underdog in the cornucopia of wine grapes. It’s been the darling of sommeliers, writers, bloggers, and geeks since long before I got into wine. But it suffers from a marketing problem. Some believe this is due to the perhaps drawn-out focus on off-dry Kabinett style, while others blame the complicated German classification system. As a marketer, my professional opinion is that no product or service succeeds, flounders, or fails based on one factor, but rather a combination of complexities. To the mix of common reasons cited for Riesling’s lackluster performance among consumers, I would pile on a single word—competition—and remove none.

So, is Riesling destined to be an underdog forever? Should we just accept that it isn’t adored by consumers? Should we re-brand it as a niche grape loved by a fervent few? I don’t believe so, no. And it doesn’t sound like the other FLXcursion participants believe so either. During the “Always a Bridesmaid, Never the Bride” session, the panel featuring Antonio Perez Palacios Arias of Once Finger Lakes, Patrick Comiskey of Wine and Spirits, Etinosa Emokpae, and Jancis Robinson MW advocated for Riesling as we tasted my favorite wine of the conference, Selbach-Oster's 2019 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling “GG.” I looked around the room and thought, this is a passionate group of Riesling lovers and advocates. If anyone can do it, perhaps it is us? I hope that others had the same feeling and that as I write this blog, there are sommeliers educating diners, buyers putting in orders, vintners making wine, and clerks guiding shoppers—all toward Riesling.

I hope that each of us uses our channel to spread a message that Riesling is delicious. Riesling is worth saving. And Riesling is for everyone.

Postscript

Since I’ve returned from the Finger Lakes many people have asked, “Wow! Can I go to this?” And the answer is yes! FLXcursion features in-person and virtual events for both the public and professionals. You can self-select into either group depending on your relationship with the wine industry and level of interest. If you’re invested in the topics above and love Riesling, I would encourage you to attend the next expo! TBD on dates—the last iteration was in 2019 and it’s unclear whether it will be annual, biennial, or occasional henceforth. You’re welcome to contact me with questions about FLXcursion specifically or the Finger Lakes in general at megan.e.herring at gmail.com.

Thank you to Oskar Bynke, Kelby James Russell, and all of the organizers and volunteers who made FLXcursion an enjoyable and educational experience. I can’t wait to see you all again soon in the Finger Lakes!