The Wine Fairy

“Prost” means “cheers” in German, and it’s the perfect name for this value-priced, deliciously drinkable German wine.

My home state of Texas has a lot of German heritage. However, the noble grapes of Germany sadly don’t suit our climate, and quality German wine imports don’t always make it this far inland. “Prost, y’all!” is a common phrase in the bars and BBQ joints of the Texas Hill Country. But you’re more likely to hear it over a pitcher of Shiner Bock than a bottle of Riesling.

Prost Riesling is a project of a California wine importer called the German Wine Collection. The Prost label encompasses a trio of German wines in typical regional styles (Mosel, dry Reinhessen and Pfalz Pinot Noir) targeted at the under-$20 price point. For picnic wines and party wines, I’m always looking for that sweet spot where quality and thrift can co-exist.

Today’s bottle is a 2019 Riesling collected from vineyards across the Mosel region. They are grown on porous slate soils, which retain daytime heat and help to slowly ripen the grapes. The Prost Mosel Riesling is designated by the importer as “feinherb”–an unregulated labeling term that lies between dry and off-dry on the sweetness scale.

At just over 5 years old, this wine is starting to dramatically deepen in color but is still very fruity. Aromas of apple, carnauba wax and petrol stumble out of the glass, stare up at you from coffee-table height and proclaim, “Hello, I am a tasty Riesling! Drink me please!”

Swirling releases a scent of heady white florals (magnolia), honeysuckle, candied lemon and lemon jelly. (Light plastic and waxy petroleum flavors persist–but that’s one of the reasons we drink it, am I right?) Body is medium with luscious flavors of honey, green apple, pear and elderflower. High acidity masks considerable residual sugar (~20 g according to the spec sheet). The finish is tropical and effervescent-tasting with zesty tangerine and yellow mango.

This bottle was purchased for a blind tasting exercise, and it was one of the easier ones so far. Obviously Riesling, obviously a few years of age on it. (I said it was a dry Riesling and overestimated the alcohol, too–which is such a rookie mistake. 😳)

Region-wise, I was able to call it as one of the Rhine areas but couldn’t get more specific than that. My first instinct was that it might be Mosel because of the florals–but it’s heavy and tropical enough that I ultimately ruled it out and said it must be from somewhere warmer. So, B-minus!

I didn’t pair this very enjoyable wine, but instead enjoyed it well-chilled as a before-dinner drink.

Bottle: Prost Mosel Riesling (2019)

Variety: Riesling (100%)

ABV: 10.5%

Suggested retail: $17.99

My rating: 8.2 (out of 10)

Further reading:

The German Wine Collection: Prost Portfolio

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.