Record participation in this year's Swedish Riesling Weeks

Between 19 May and 1 June, the Riesling grape will yet again be celebrated in restaurants and wine bars across Sweden with the annual “Riesling Weeks.” The number of venues participating has more than doubled since 2022 – this year, around 130 restaurants from Skanör in the south, up to Luleå in the north are participating. Here’s what to expect.

Partner content with Wines of Germany.

Riesling Week activities are up to the venues themselves to plan. Guests might have the chance to experience the versatility of Riesling through winemaker visits, tastings, or selected wines by the glass or bottle. You can find all the restaurants and wine bars participating, as well as their Riesling Week special offers, in the Star Wine List guides: Hela landet, Göteborgsguiden, Skåneguiden and Stockholmsguiden.

Versatile wines

Germany is often called the home of Riesling – it is the country’s most common grape and accounts for around 40 percent of the Riesling in the world. Depending on growing conditions (and each winemaker’s intentions), it can be used to create fresh and mineral wines or richer, slightly oaked wines.

And these wines can be everything from dry and off-dry, to sweet dessert wines; if so inclined, one can match an entire tasting menu from beginning to end with Riesling. It is also increasingly common to use Riesling in sparkling wines, so keep an eye out for the word ‘Sekt’ on a bottle label if you’d like to try some German bubbles.

An international wine week

Riesling Week is an international wine week that is celebrated around the world and, in Sweden, Germany’s signature grape is celebrated during not one but two weeks – from 19 May through to 1 June. From Ystad in the south to Luleå up in the north, restaurants and wine bars will be giving their guests the opportunity to order Riesling by the glass, bottle or in pairing menus. The grape is perfectly suited to both the Nordic cuisine and the Asian dishes that so many Swedes love. Few wines are as versatile as Riesling and one can usually find one to go well with any dish throughout the menu.

We spoke to two restaurants on what they’ll be offering during Riesling Weeks:

Christofer Johansson, Hotell Borgholm, Borgholm:

“During Riesling Weeks we’ll be serving a broad selection of Riesling by the glass, from ‘village’ wines to top crus and GG, as well as 15% on all German Riesling from our cellar. Our gastronomy, based on greens and herbs, matches perfectly with aromatic, fruit driven, Riesling with high acidity.”

Read more about Hotell Borgholm, here.

Andreas Hiller, Brasserie Draken, Gothenburg:

“We’ll be serving 12 additional Rieslings by the glass. We’ll also be offering four different tastings:

One producer, one site, three vintages. One producer, one year, three different vineyards One region, similar age, similar quality, three different producers. Auslese, three regions, three producers.”

Read more about Brasserie Draken, here.

Visit winesofgermany.se for more information about German wines.