Emerald Riesling

[EHM-uhr-uhld REEZ-ling; REES-ling] White hybrid grape that was developed by the university of california, davis in 1948 in an attempt to create high-quality, highly productive grapes for California's hotter growing areas. Emerald Riesling's parents are the highly regarded riesling and the rather ordinary muscadelle. The resulting grape produces wines that are fairly aromatic, high in acidity and medium-bodied, but lacking in flavor. These wines are generally used for blending, although there are some medium-dry varietal wines made, the most famous being Paul Masson's Emerald Dry. Emerald Riesling has never been extremely popular-most of its acreage is in California's central valley, with limited amounts in South Africa and Australia.