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In a world filled with doubt, Cristian Urbina is a believer.
The head sommelier at The Dabney in Washington, D.C. is perfectly aware that a lot of people in the United States have knee-jerk reactions to off-dry Riesling. He understands why: Their teeth still ache from the sticky-sweet versions they tasted in previous decades.
But he’s convinced that the tides are turning. Guests are increasingly receptive when he suggests pairing off-dry Rieslings with their meals. “There’s more openness,” he says. “As someone who’s witnessing a new wave of wine drinkers, there’s definitely a sense of curiosity when it comes to off-dry styles.”
Julia Schwartz, the wine director of New York City’s Stars, agrees. “A couple of years ago, even the mention of ‘Riesling’ would cause trepidation,” she says. Recently, however, guests seem open to trying all types of Riesling, including versions with residual sugar. “There seems to be a growing awareness that all Rieslings are not alike.”
An array of factors contributes to off-dry Riesling’s contemporary reboot. Quality bottles abound at various price points. Millennial and Gen Z wine lovers don’t have the same Riesling baggage as many of their forebears. Crucially, American wine culture is evolving, as are the types of cuisines people pair with wine at bars and restaurants.
Can enthusiasm for off-dry Riesling outpace the naysayers? Or is the anti-sweet hangover too powerful to overcome?
Understanding Off-Dry Wines
Generally, any wine referred to as “off-dry” will have perceptible residual sugar. In Germany, dry wines are classified as those with less than nine grams per liter of residual sugar, and off-dry bottles have nine to 18 grams.
Riesling is particularly suited to off-dry winemaking because the grape maintains high levels of acid as it ripens. “I love Rieslings with a little residual sugar because it’s juxtaposed against all that great acidity, so it stays really balanced,” says Lance Tolaio, wine director of Sam’s Grill in San Francisco.
Another factor working in off-dry Riesling’s favor is its food-friendliness. Quality bottles combine residual sweetness with bright acidity, giving them the ability to complement spice, funk, buttery richness, and all sorts of other flavors.
This versatility is increasingly important as the types of cuisines being paired with wines in bars and restaurants evolve, says Nikita Malhotra, the partner and wine director of Smithereens in New York City, and the head sommelier for La Paulée.
“If we went back 30 years ago, the pairing situation was with continental European food,” she says. “We’re now in a place where tasting menus feature food from around the world.”
Intergenerational Appeal
Analysts have spilled magnums of ink exploring how the wine-drinking habits of Millennials and Gen Z contrast with those of previous generations. One differentiator? A propensity for adventurousness.
“Younger guests tend to be more willing to try something new and take risks,” says Schwartz. “It also doesn’t hurt that Riesling tends to be quite affordable.”
Stephen Bitterolf, founder of the importer Vom Boden, sees parallels between the ways that Millennials and Gen Z are embracing off-dry Rieslings and Beaujolais. “They have no experience of the DuBoeuf bubblegum Nouveau to sour their impression,” he says. “They just don’t have any of the memories of cheap sweet wine.”
Off-dry Rieslings are lower in alcohol than many dry white wines, and that could buoy their appeal to younger consumers, too, Bitterolf says.
Evolving Wine Culture
Others see off-dry Riesling’s growing popularity as an offshoot of the evolution of U.S. wine culture. In previous decades, some of the reticence to embrace off-dry Rieslings was due to people “viewing sweet as bad,” says Alex Cuper, the beverage director of El Che and Brasero in Chicago, IL.
“Sweet meant the wine was cheap, sweet meant it tasted like candy, sweet meant it was artificial…,” he says. “Now, it’s turned a corner, in a very good way.”
Like understanding that all Chardonnays aren’t butter bombs—and that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying butter bombs—it’s all a sign of market maturation.
”Sweetness was never really understood in the American public,” says Malhotra. “We didn’t have a lot of wine education because we were coming off of Prohibition, and we were known as the people who drink milk and soda. I think we were running away from the claim that we just like sweet stuff.”
Off-dry Riesling is still a niche corner of the beverage world. But, for those eager to spot good news as the wine business tackles one battle after another, it’s encouraging to see people rethink previous conceptions and reclaim once-maligned styles.
Besides, like rosé and Lambrusco before it, off-dry Riesling has potential to reach new audiences as tastes, trends, and access to quality bottles advance.
Urbina is keeping the faith. “Just because it’s not people’s first choice doesn’t mean it can’t become people’s first choice,” he says. Change never sounded so sweet.
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
Brigadoon 2023 Off Dry Riesling (Willamette Valley)
Brigadoon’s take on off-dry Riesling starts with aromas of lilacs and lime-flavored sugar. It’s a perfume that needs to touch every pulse point. The wine’s acidity and residual sugar are in balance, offering a touch of sweetness to accompany yellow apple, lemon drop hard candy and chai tea spice flavors. Go find this wine before, in true Brigadoon fashion, it disappears. Editors’ Choice. 93 points — Michael Alberty
Inquire with the wineryFox Run Vineyards 2024 Semi-Dry Riesling (Seneca Lake)
Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler 2020 Single Vineyard Wehlener Klosterberg Offdry Riesling (Mosel)
A subtle whiff of jasmine blossom introduces this delightfully fruity, floral white. Off dry in style with just a juicy kiss of sweetness on the palate, it’s packed with plush yellow peach and grapefruit flavors edged by a grip of tea tannins, pollen and crushed earth. 90 points — Anna Lee C. Iijima
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Published: April 3, 2026
Facts Only
Cristian Urbina is the head sommelier at The Dabney in Washington, D.C.
Julia Schwartz is the wine director at Stars in New York City.
Nikita Malhotra is the partner and wine director of Smithereens in New York City and the head sommelier for La Paulée.
Stephen Bitterolf is the founder of the importer Vom Boden.
Alex Cuper is the beverage director of El Che and Brasero in Chicago, IL.
Lance Tolaio is the wine director of Sam’s Grill in San Francisco.
Off-dry Riesling is defined as having 9 to 18 grams per liter of residual sugar in Germany.
Millennial and Gen Z wine drinkers are more open to trying off-dry Rieslings.
Off-dry Rieslings are noted for their food-friendliness, pairing well with spicy, rich, and diverse cuisines.
The article recommends specific off-dry Rieslings, including Brigadoon 2023 Off Dry Riesling (Willamette Valley) and Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler 2020 Single Vineyard Wehlener Klosterberg Offdry Riesling (Mosel).
The article was published on April 3, 2026.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative presents a compelling case for the resurgence of off-dry Riesling, framing it as a natural evolution in wine culture driven by generational shifts and culinary trends. The strongest version of this argument highlights the wine’s versatility, affordability, and alignment with younger consumers’ preferences, while acknowledging the lingering stigma from past associations with cloying sweetness. The piece effectively steelmans the perspective of sommeliers and industry experts, who see this as part of a broader maturation in American wine appreciation—one that embraces nuance and rejects rigid categorizations of "good" and "bad" wines.
However, the article leans heavily on anecdotal evidence from a handful of high-profile sommeliers, which may not fully represent broader consumer trends. The pattern of appealing to authority (ARC-0012 Appeal to Authority) is present, as the piece relies on the credibility of wine professionals to bolster its claims without robust data on nationwide sales or consumer surveys. Additionally, the framing of younger generations as inherently more adventurous could be seen as a form of generational stereotyping (ARC-0034 False Binary), overlooking the diversity of preferences within any age group.
The root cause of this narrative appears to be a push to rehabilitate a once-maligned wine style, echoing similar trends in the wine industry where previously dismissed categories (like rosé or Lambrusco) have been rebranded as sophisticated choices. This reflects a broader cultural shift toward embracing complexity and rejecting oversimplified judgments. The implications for human agency are positive—consumers are encouraged to explore beyond their comfort zones, and the wine industry benefits from expanded market opportunities. However, the cost may be borne by those who still associate sweetness with inferior quality, potentially feeling alienated or dismissed in the conversation.
Bridge questions to consider: How much of this trend is driven by genuine consumer preference versus industry marketing? What role does price point play in the growing popularity of off-dry Riesling, and could this shift be more about affordability than taste? Would the narrative hold if the focus were on a different "unfashionable" wine style, or is Riesling uniquely positioned for this revival?
Counterstrike scan: If this were part of a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook would involve leveraging the credibility of sommeliers to reshape perceptions, framing the trend as inevitable and tied to generational change, and downplaying dissenting views. The actual content aligns with this pattern to some extent, particularly in its reliance on expert testimonials and the framing of younger consumers as the vanguard of change. However, the piece does not appear overtly manipulative, as it acknowledges the niche status of off-dry Riesling and presents multiple perspectives. The alignment is structural but not necessarily nefarious—more a reflection of industry advocacy than deception.
Sentinel — Human
The article shows signs of human authorship. The text displays passion, a personal voice, and an absence of talking points, although there is some evidence of coordination indicators such as vague attribution and statistics without methodology or source.