Break out of the sweet Riesling box after you read today’s article about the grape. You’ll learn about terroir, enjoy a new range of flavors and, no doubt, it’s another reason to order take-out Chinese. (Who doesn’t love an excuse to order take-out!!)

We recently went on a weekend trip to one of the oldest wine-growing places in Germany – Bernkastel. The name already gives it away – this is one of the many places where even the Romans grew their wine. The Latin castellum has been reduced to kastel through the centuries. What stayed was the town’s significance in the local wine industry. Some of the best vineyards are to be found here. With extremely steep terrain, this is where some of the best German Riesling wines are grown.

This breaded and fried cutlet is utter crispy goodness and a favorite of many national cuisines, but probably no more so than in Vienna. It can be made from several meats, but with veal, it’s called Wiener Schnitzel, the national dish of Austria. There’s about a million ways you can dress this number up—add spices, melt cheese all over it, stuff it with bacon and mushrooms or spritz it with lemon. However you choose to schnitzel tonight, don’t forget the wine.

With varying flavor combinations on holiday tables, Riesling is the perfect palate cleanser matching the ability of a sweet sorbet. Rieslings are usually varietally pure and unoaked. In order from driest to sweetest. Consider the following four Rieslings to present to your guests or host this season.

In America, Riesling tends to be considered solely as a sweet wine. In the minds of many here, Riesling was associated with the syrupy Blue Nun and other Liebfraumilch brands. Then came the regional ice and dessert wines that often emphasized sweet fruit over balance and acidity. Popular brands of today still tend toward the sweet, as that has been the traditional market niche Riesling has occupied. 

What does wine add to family celebration? It captures memories through the senses. WineTable lifestyle writers William and Natalie Myers remember their best Thanksgiving as a blend of family, love and wine. 

What would a Thanksgiving dinner be without a piece of pumpkin pie to finish off the meal? Pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving Day go hand in hand, but pairing a wine to go with that piece of pie can be challenging. Here are some wines to pair with that wonderfully dense dessert full of large notes of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

In 1974, Chateau Ste. Michelle put Washington on the world's wine map. Today, the winery is known for its award-winning Rieslings. WineTable writer Robin Salls takes a look at the winery's history and community involvement as an important member of the Washington wine community.