Abstract
The Riesling grape variety first appeared in the Rhine Valley about 1350 AD. It is the only noble grape variety not native to France. Beginning in 1386, Riesling was repeatedly selected over other varieties, first by Cistercians, then by nobles, and finally by commoners after 1750. The variety spread to Alsace before 1477 and to Austria before 1700. European emigrants brought Riesling with them to the Eastern United States before 1650 where the vines failed. During the mid 1800s, Riesling was successfully planted in three far-flung regions: Chile, Australia, and California. Since 1955, Riesling further diffused to New York, New Zealand, Oregon, Washington, and Canada. Riesling is the only variety to have its own international association of advocates and promoters. Today, Riesling grows on over 90,000 acres across six continents.
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Notes
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The local political and religious ruler.
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German is a misnomer because at that time Germany consisted of approximately 2,000 separate feudal states.
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Sechrist, R. (2012). The Origin, Diffusion, and Globalization of Riesling. In: Dougherty, P. (eds) The Geography of Wine. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0464-0_11
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