There are instances in which Riesling can work with spicy foods, but in those instances I lean toward Riesling’s Alsace sibling, the spicier Gewürztraminer. In general, most Riesling is too sweet and often too thin for my taste. And, then along comes a Riesling that satisfies my specific demands for both balance and body…Hidden Bench Riesling.

Vinny, Accent on Wine’s guru of the ‘new and unique’, offered me a taste of the Hidden Bench Riesling, and gained a advocate (at least for Hidden Bench). Interestingly, the wine is Canadian. Vinifera (grapes cultivated for wine) can be produced virtually anywhere. There are wine grapes grown, and wine produced, in all 50 US states. There are microclimates capable of growing excellent wine grapes in countries that are not amongst those we consider ‘traditional’ wine producing nations. The gradual warming of the northern hemisphere now permits wine grapes to be grown where it was previously seemed difficult/impossible (for example, England).

The Hidden Bench comes us from the Niagara Peninsula of the Ontario VQA (Vintner Quality Alliance), the Canadian version of the American Viticultural Area (AVA). The VQA regulates virtually every aspect of the wine making process from acceptable grape varietals to ‘label integrity’. The VQA requires that a wine carrying a VQA label statement must be bottled using 100% Ontario grown grapes.

The Ontario vintners struggle with those occasionally harsh winters that threaten vines and may relay bud break followed by humid summers that threaten the health of grapes. Fortunately, Riesling does not require as long (and warm) a growing season as do other grapes. The grape features hard wood vines that can withstand harsher winters and will mature with a later bud break. The later bud break is an agricultural feature common to cooler climates. They also remind us that the region sits at the same latitude as do the French wine regions of Provence and Languedoc. Some U.S. consumers may think of Canada solely as the land of snow and hockey, but the winemakers of Ontario are determined to alter that perception.

Hidden Bench is in the Beamsville Bench VQA (sub-appellation) on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. They define themselves as a winery that is “non-interventionist, quality-focused and terroir-driven”. The winery produces just 120,000 bottles of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, and claim that their distribution is ‘highly allocated’. The highly allocated element is certainly true in South Carolina. Wine shops are offered very limited quantities of Hidden Bench wine in the Low Country.

Formed in 2003, the three Hidden Bench vineyards allow for estate production of their grapes from soil that is “limestone rich, clay based glacial till”. They are so committed to quality that they decided to declassify their 2004 vintage, because it did not meet their demanding standards, and sell it for bulk wine production…an enormous financial hit for a new winery.

I tasted the 2016 version of their Riesling and heartily attest to the commitment to the Hidden Bench commitment to quality. The nose gives a preview of white fruit elements that are evident from the nose through the finish. The wine is fresh and clean with a balance that that is pleasing to the palate.

This is a Riesling that surprises with both its complexity and with its low ABV. At 11% ABV you would anticipate a sweeter wine. Because sugar converts to alcohol during the fermentation process, the rule of thumb is that lower ABV generally equates to greater residual sugar, and in turn to a sweeter wine. Not so with this one. My palate tells me that the sweeter element of the Hidden Bench Riesling emanate from the pear and honeysuckle tones…a wonderful winemaking trick.

This Riesling will retail for more than $25, and you are going to need some luck finding it. Hidden Bench has a strong Canadian following…distributors and retailers will need to pry some of the wine out Ontario and into the hands of U.S. consumers. It is available at Accent on Wine in the South Carolina Low Country.

I am now on the hunt for other Riesling that will satisfy my structure and flavor (little evidence of residual sugar) standards. Please share your recommendations.