Since attending the SUMMER OF REISLING dinner at Corkbuzz on Monday evening I have stood corrected on the subject of Rieslings, which I have always regarded as a light, non-serious white, and usually a little too sweet, although refreshing enough as a summer accompaniment.

Now I know courtesy of sommelier Laura Maniec and Reisling enthusiast and wine writer Evan Spingarn that they can be rich, dry, complicated, tart, glassy, honey textured and amber colored like the one that Maniec is pouring in the photograph (a Schloss Schönbom Hochheimer Hölle Kabinett ’95, FYI), surprising in the mouth relative to the nose, with that pleasant whiff of decay that is perhaps my favorite vinological sensation.

It is not, however, necessary, to be fluent in “wine speak,” to appreciate this most rarefied of beverages and partake happily of events like this, which at Corkbuzz are exceptionally friendly and rather a good deal. Corkbuzz is definitely my new favorite place for such experiences, and it is probably for the best that nothing else is scheduled for a while, as this was my second such indulgence this summer.

For information on hours, menus, classes and wine dinners at Corkbuzz, click here.