Stirm Old Vine Riesling from the central coast is one of the best California Rieslings under $25. It’s a natural wine that’s full of bright acidity, citrus peel notes, and will make everyone happy.
Riesling reminds me of two things: Thanksgiving growing up in the 1980s and 90s – Riesling was my parents’ wine of choice with turkey; and Jay Z, because, fun fact: ‘Riesling’ appears in both Run This Town and Tom Ford.
Today’s California Riesling wine isn’t my parents’ Riesling. And this bright and acidic wine shouldn’t be relegated to a once a year Thanksgiving wine pairing. No, no. The 2018 Stirm Old Vine Riesling from Cienega Valley is a wine that should be enjoyed all year long.
Let’s discuss.
Why California Riesling – What makes West Coast Riesling Different?
If Puffy is All About the Benjamins, (baby), then Ryan Stirm is all about the Riesling, (baby).
Stirm Wine Company sources grapes for their 2018 Old Vine Riesling from the Wirz Vineyard, a 40-acre site planted in 1964 by Pat Wirz. The Wirz Vineyard is located in the Cienega Valley AVA, in western San Benito County, just east of Salinas, and south of Hollister. Cienega Valley is part of the broader Central Coast AVA.
What’s cool about the Wirz Vineyard is that it contains some of the oldest Riesling vines in California, and the United States, for that matter. In fact, the only California Riesling vineyard with vines older than the Wirz Vineyard is the Stony Hill Vineyard in Napa, which is considered one of the best Rieslings in Napa. Together, these two vineyards contain the two oldest Riesling vineyards in the United States that continue to commercially produce Riesling grapes.
Wirz Vineyard vines own-rooted, day-farmed, and, according to his winemaker notes, Stirm and his team hand-picked the grapes over a three-week period in October.
Old Vine Riesling in California
If you’re into California wine, then old vine zinfandel is on your radar. But, what many wine drinkers don’t know is that the Riesling grape shares a similar history to its old vine cousin, because Riesling was planted in California as early as the 1850s. Growing Riesling in California isn’t some newfangled idea – it’s part of California wine history.
To me, old vine anything is pretty cool. Old vine vineyards produce far lower yields than their spritely head-trained brethren, but the fruit they do produce is more concentrated.
When it comes to the Wirz Vineyard, and this bottle of Stirm Old Vine Riesling, think of it this way: you’re drinking a bottle of wine with grapes planted the same year that: the Civil Right Act was signed into law, the Beatles released their first album, and the first Ford Mustang was made.
You’re literally drinking a piece of history. And, to me, it’s just really cool that a small group of winemakers, like Ryan Stirm, continue to seek out these California old vines, so that they can introduce them to a new audience of drinkers, and share that special history. But, if those philosophical reasons aren’t reason enough to get you to try Stirm’s Old Vine Riesling, well, it’s just a really good wine.
Where is Riesling Grown in California?
According to the Wine Institute, the largest plantings of Riesling in California are in Monterey County (1427 acres), Merced County (846 acres), and Yolo County (435 acres). Smaller plantings of Riesling are also grown in San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, San Benito, and Napa. As of 2020, there were 3,659 acres of riesling grapes planted in California.
Riesling does best in cooler climates, and can be successfully planted in California AVA with cool coastal climes.
Tasting Notes: Why You’ll Want to Drink This
If you like low alcohol, high acid wines (I sure do!), then Ryan Stirm’s Riesling is right up your alley. At just 12% alcohol, it’s perfect for lingering over on a hot California afternoon. But, in all honesty, it would make a good winter white wine too – it’s extremely approachable and quaffable.
Pronounced citrus notes are immediate – I want to say they’re on the verge of Meyer Lemon, but not quite, a zip of minerality follows; and, the best part: the acidity in this Riesling just dances on the tongue.
Side note about California Riesling: Stirm Wine Compnay also produces a Riesling from Kick-On Ranch in Los Alamos, and a Riesling from Peter Martin Ray Vineyard in Santa Cruz. Having trying this bottle, I can’t wait to try those too.
A Great Riesling Under $25
Old vine Riesling is a grape of the moment with taste-making winemakers, and their avid followers.
If you like a story behind your wine, and a little history, then you should try this bright, acidic Riesling. Not only is the Stirm Old Vine Riesling one of the best Riesling wines under $25 that I’ve tried, it’s one of the best Rieslings I’ve tried regardless of the price point.
The philosophy behind Stirm Wine is best summed up by this mission statement on the Stirm website, “The results [of our efforts] are singular, authentic wines that represent a region, a site, and are a piece of living California history.”
Winemakers like Stirm who aren’t just invested in the final product they produce, they’re invested in preserving California’s historical vineyards, in being stewards to the land, and adding to the narrative of California wine. Grab a bottle of this California Riesling and experience their impressive results.