Drink this: Cono Sur Riesling

This Riesling from Chile may be your first experience with a Riesling from this part of the world, a place perhaps you never expected the cool-climate flagship of Germany to grown. Cono Sur “Bicycle” Riesling Valle Central Chile 2011, $12, is joy in a glass. It’s a cocktail of floral, citrus, jasmine and lime flavors, with lots of minerality and acidity to frame the fruit. It’s actually quite surprising — refreshing and clean. The perfect wine with summer seafood dishes or salads. All that minerality and the green hues give it a dry profile but you’ll find subtle sweetness in the midpalate. Cono Sur – think Southern Cone, the name for the shape of southern Chile — is a carbon neutral winery, with all eyes on sustainable practices. It makes the most Pinot Noir of any winery in Chile. This Riesling is from the value-priced “Bicycle” line, named for the mode of transportation that winery and vineyard workers use. The brand is available around Metro Detroit.