I've made it no secret in past reviews that I don't like sweet Rieslings. I generally have a low tolerance for sweetness, plus I rarely eat foods spicy enough to counteract all that residual sugar.

So when I received the 2009 Sweet Riesling from Pacific Rim as a sample, I was skeptical. But because I like Pacific Rim overall and trust them to make a good sweet wine, even if it's not one that fits my personal taste, I decided to go ahead and review it. I was surprised how much I liked it.

Label
"Our Columbia Valle Sweet Riesling—fermented with wild, native yeast—is fragrant and moderately sweet with flavors of pear, pineapple and peach. . . . Our Sweet Riesling brings harmonic balance to all fiery fare, from Thai to Szechuan to Caribbean cuisines."

My Thoughts
The sweet, floral scent of the wine was prominent when I poured the first glass. Though not incredibly complex, I did enjoy layers of green apple and peach.

I actually enjoyed this wine with a pizza made with spicy tomato sauce, and the sweetness really didn't bother me unless I took too many sips without some food to tone down the sugar. And with just 9% alcohol, this makes for an excellent mid-day wine to pair with any flavorful food.

Stats

• Alcohol: 9%
• Residual Sugar: 8.4%
  
• Vintage: 2009
• Appellation: Columbia Valley
  
• Price: $10.00 (received as sample)
  
• Rating: 7
  
• Value (Rating/Price): 0.7