The Rieslings with the best price-performance ratio in the world 2024

Riesling may be a little difficult to spot in consumer popularity polls, but when it comes to the winemakers who champion the grape, it can be found everywhere, from the cool wine regions of Australia to the traditional strongholds of Germany and Austria.

Its popularity with winemakers is partly due to its chameleon-like ability to position itself anywhere on a sliding scale, from sharp and tangy to rich, rounded tips drenched in honey. It’s also popular with foodies, as Riesling – depending on its presentation – can be the perfect complement to everything from spicy fish curry to caramelized fruit tarts – and we’ve got some recommendations for you.

In addition to the wines listed below – which we will discuss in due course – Wine-Searcher offers a variety of Riesling and food pairings.

From the classic British starter Angels on Horseback (for those who don’t know, oysters wrapped in bacon – the devilish alter ego Devils on Horseback contains plums) to the simple elegance of Japanese tuna tataki, we have numerous – often eccentric – suggestions to pair with your Riesling.

But back to the topic. To arrive at our 10 best value Rieslings, we calculate value by dividing the aggregate critic ratings – which in this case are all impressively in the early to mid-90s – by price, with the most expensive wine coming in at around $48 and the cheapest at $19. After the division, the higher the number – the more often price fits into the rating – the better the value.

It is worth noting that all of these wines are, for the most part, easy to find, available and ready to purchase.

So which Rieslings – dry or sweet – made it onto this year’s list?

Rieslings with the best price-performance ratio on Wine-Searcher:

The first wine is an Australian wine: the Hewitson Gun Metal Riesling 2021. Hewitson was founded in 1998 and is mostly based in the Barossa Valley, but owns single-vineyard vineyards in various regions, including the cool-climate Riesling center of Eden Valley.

As the name suggests, their Gun Metal Riesling is dry with a steely minerality and is described as a wine with fresh notes of lime, Granny Smith apple and jasmine as well as bold citrus fruits.

With a total score of 91 points and a price tag of $19, this lively offering achieves a Best Value rating of 4.78. For the perfect meal, Wine-Searcher recommends tortellini flavored with pancetta and black truffle, or alternatively, sea bass drenched in Sichuan pepper-chili oil.

The second best value for money is the 2022 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett from Nackenheim in Rheinhessen, Germany. The Gunderloch winery was founded in 1890 by Carl Gunderloch and is now family-owned in the sixth generation. The winery regularly receives recognition from critics.

Their Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett is one of their drier Rieslings and has an overall score of 92 points at a price of $20, giving it the best value rating of 4.60.

Number three is the 2016 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, which marks a return to Eden Valley. Pewsey Vale is one of the few exemplary Australian Riesling producers, with roots stretching back to the arrival of Joseph Gilbert in 1839, who bought cuttings from the leafy west London suburb of Chiswick. Although the Pewsey Vale vineyard was abandoned for some time, it has continued to develop since its rediscovery, placing great emphasis on sustainability.

With an impressive overall score of 94 points and a price of $30, this wine achieves a top score of 3.13. Wine-Searcher recommends a hearty beef ramen with lots of garlic and ginger as a suitable dish.

Fourth: the Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 2021. Dr. Loosen is probably one of the best known German Riesling producers with a two-hundred-year history. The winery has been under the management of Ernst F. Loosen since 1988 and has built a worldwide reputation for stunning Rieslings, both sweet and dry.

Grown on iron-rich red slate soils, this dessert wine has an overall score of 92 points and an average price of $32, giving it a top score of 2.87.

Number five is another sweet number: the 2022 Weingut Alfred Merkelbach ‘Urgluck’ Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese. Located on the steep slate slopes of the Mosel, Weingut Alfred Merkelbach focuses on more classic styles of the variety.

Their Auslese is a little sweeter but still retains its fine minerality and therefore scores a very impressive 95 points, all for $38, giving it a top score of 2.50. Curious what Wine-Searcher recommends with this golden tipple? Well, anything from duck liver parfait to chicken liver pate – essentially lots of poultry and liver – to sweet and sour Thai shrimp and even an apple strudel.

Sixth in the lineup is the only American wine: the 2020 Hillick & Hobbs Estate Vineyard Dry Riesling from Seneca Lake in New York. Hillick & Hobbs Estate, named after the parents of founder Paul Hobbs, focuses on high-quality, dry Riesling, taking inspiration from the great wines of Germany’s Moselle Valley.

With lush stone fruit aromas and floral flavors, an overall score of 93 points and a price of $38, this wine achieves a value for money rating of 2.44.

Lucky number seven is the 2020 Weingut Stadt Krems Grillenparz Riesling Erste OTW Lage Reserve from the Austrian region of Kremstal. The winery is one of the oldest in the world, with a history dating back to 1452. It’s no surprise – given all this pedigree – that the wines are pretty good.

This Riesling has an overall rating of 93 critics and is a little more expensive at $44. As a culinary complement, we recommend grilled pork sausages or lamb tongue, lamb neck and sweetbreads, but – we suspect – not all at once. All in all, this small, rock-solid wine gets a top score of 2.11.

Number eight is the 2020 Weingut Leo Alzinger Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd from the Austrian Wachau. The Alzinger winery is known for its fine, elegant, mineral-rich wines. The family-run winery was created in its modern form when Leo Alzinger took over his family’s property in the late 1960s. His son Leo Alzinger Jr., who has lived in both New Zealand and Germany, now brings his expertise in viticulture to the winery.

The Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd is made from some of the warmest vineyards in the Wachau region, although it is still at high altitude. The resulting wine has clear notes of stone fruit and an elegance that earned it an astonishing overall score of 97 points. However, it also has a slightly higher price tag of $46, earning it a top score of 2.10. As for recommended dishes, we recommend grilled Japanese yellowtail, fish roe, catfish and yams – do with them what you will.

Number nine is the 2021 Von Winning Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs from the von Winning winery. Founded in 1849 by Dr. Andreas Deinhard, the winery is based in the Palatinate in western Germany and is one of the founding members of the Association of German Prädikate, also known as VDP, an association of Germany’s best wine producers.

With a total score of 94 points and a price of 47 US dollars, this Riesling achieves the top score of 2.00.

Finally, the 2019 Weingut Bründlmayer Ried Heiligenstein Riesling Erste Lage from the Bründlmayer winery in the Austrian Kamptal comes in 10th place. Bründlmayer specializes primarily in Austria’s flagship Grüner Veltliner, although the winery can also produce excellent Riesling, as is clear here. Since 1947, the winery has stored a selection of its most valuable wines in a 700-year-old cellar to preserve its heritage.

However, the winery is not only concerned with history, but also with the environment, as owner Willi Bründlmayer works to ensure ecological balance in the vineyards. Their Ried Heiligenstein Riesling received rave reviews, scoring a total of 94 points, giving it a price-performance ratio of 1.95 at a price of $48.

And what are the important menu recommendations? Well, we recommend wasabi prawns and even an Indian guinea fowl kofta. After all, there are few relationships as spicy as Riesling with a little pinch of spice.