Riesling – 2025

Dry organic Riesling from the Wonnegau with plenty of drive

The 2025 Riesling from the Karl May winery is a dry organic estate wine from Rheinhessen, grown in the Bechtheim Heiligkreuz vineyard. With 7.5 grams of acidity, it is the firmest vintage in years, yet juicy rather than sharp. Not a sweet sipper, but a Riesling with backbone.

Riesling 2025 is a dry organic estate wine from the Karl May winery in Osthofen, grown on sandy loess-loam in the Bechtheim Heiligkreuz vineyard. It has aromas of green apple and lemon, tastes juicy, and finishes with herbal spice. At 12 percent alcohol, it remains light enough for a long evening and is the clearest vintage this estate wine has had in a long time.

Green apple, lemon, herbal finish

The Riesling smells of green apple, lime, and white peach, underlined by that fine herbal spice characteristic of the Heiligkreuz site.

On the palate, the 7.5 grams of acidity are immediately present and pull the wine straight through. They are balanced by 3.9 grams of residual sugar, which is perceived not as sweetness, but as fruit. This exact balance defines the vintage. 2025 is more tightly structured than its predecessor, and as a result, longer.

Citrusy, herbal, juicy – that’s how it sits in the glass, demanding the next sip. Served at 10 degrees, the fruit comes through best; when colder, the herbal spice retreats, leaving only the acidity.

An estate wine for any kitchen

The wine is unobtrusive and lets the food take center stage, making it a perfect companion for the everyday table.

Roasted fish suits it well, as do light meats, oven-roasted vegetables, a slice of quiche, or a mild goat cheese. Because the acidity is higher in this vintage, it also handles vinaigrettes and pickled vegetables well, where milder white wines would fall flat. Asparagus with brown butter is the classic pairing where both come together.

One step down in the cellar and one step higher in ambition is the Riesling Osthofen as a village wine, if you are looking for something with a bit more substance for your meal. You can find more German white wines right next to it.

Heiligkreuz, loess-loam, hand-harvested in multiple passes

The grapes grow in the Bechtheim Heiligkreuz vineyard on sandy loess-loam with a south-southeast exposure, farmed organically since 2007.

To ensure they are truly ripe by autumn, Peter and Fritz May start with gentle pruning in January, defoliate the grape zone early for more sunlight, and reduce yields in early summer with green harvesting. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand, often in several passes.

In the cellar, the grapes are gently pressed, the must is fermented spontaneously, and the wine remains on the lees for a long time before resting in stainless steel tanks. No wood, nothing to get in the way of the fruit. This was exactly what Marcus Hofschuster of wein.Plus described when he named a previous vintage of this estate wine his favorite – the calling card of a winery, firm, cool, and immensely juicy.

The May family has been running the winery in the seventh generation since 1815, covering around 35 hectares between Bechtheim, Westhofen, and Osthofen. More can be found in the Karl May winery selection. A nine-euro wine that behaves like something much more expensive. Hats off.

Riesling – a wine and its values

• Origin: Wine from Germany
• Region: Rheinhessen
• Winery: Karl May - Peter and Fritz
• Vintage: 2025
• Grape variety: Riesling
• German Quality Wine
• Screw cap
• 12% vol. alcohol
• 7.5 g/l acidity
• 3.9 g/l residual sugar

Organic inspection body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture