Like all varieties Riesling can be made either sweet or dry. In fact at both extremes it produces some of the world’s most powerful and ‘noble’ whites. French and Australian Rieslings can have such austere, steely dryness that they inspire a kind of awe. Equally impressive German Rieslings can be in-between, with an off-dry to medium sweetness but always balanced by the variety’s trademark mineral acidity. For dessert wines Riesling is perfect and widely chosen for its power to retain acidity and complexity, even while its typical citrus notes ripen to extraordinary levels of luscious, marmalady sweetness.