All the medallists from The Global Riesling Masters 2025

Riesling may be a difficult sell with consumers, but wine professionals need no convincing of its elegance and refinement. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports.

This year’s Global Riesling Masters was a joyous occasion. Expert judge Jonathan Pedley MW summed it up perfectly: “So many pure, refined, elegant wines… no sign of the shouty, trying-too-hard efforts that characterise so many other mainstream varieties.”

It is true that most wine professionals respect or even adore Riesling. But Riesling is a hard sell in many markets and is mostly under-recognised by consumers. But people really should acknowledge the superior quality of Riesling, given the high number of excellent wines awarded Silver, Gold and Master medals in this year’s competition. The judges found incredible-quality wines in the wide variety of styles tasted: sparkling, bone-dry, off-dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, sweet, youthful and aged. What’s not to love?

This year’s Global Riesling Masters was dominated by two of the countries most associated with this stellar variety: Germany, its natural home, and Austria. For dry and nearly dry styles, Austria, particularly the regions along the Danube in Niederösterreich (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal and Wagram), showed extremely well. Golds were awarded to Weingut Ott, Weingut Lagler and Weingut Weixelbaum. Well-deserved Masters were earned by Domäne Wachau for its Ried Achleiten Smaragd and to Weingut Weixelbaum for its Ried Heiligenstein, pointing to the ultimate balance and fine quality of wines from the best vineyard sites.

In Germany, growers in the Rhine regions and the Mosel are dedicated to Riesling for their finest, most age-worthy wines. The 2025 Riesling Masters included German expressions from bone-dry, concentrated Grosses Gewächs wines with 13% alcohol to late-harvest, medium-sweet or very sweet wines with a mere 8% alcohol and gentle apple, apricot, honey and orange marmalade flavours – and plenty of Gold and Master medals were given.

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Schloss Johannisberg, Queen Victoria’s favourite estate, won Gold medals for its Bronzelack Trocken and Grünlack Spätlese, and a Master for its Silberlack Grosse Gewächs, another trocken-style. Dr Ernst Loosen showed us why he is a ‘Crown Prince’ of Riesling, earning a Gold in the Mosel for Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Tradition and our Grand Master, the highest recognition of the day, for Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese Tradition. And, in a globe-trotting Loosen joint venture, Australia’s Jim Barry Wines won a Gold for Loosen Barry Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling.

Indeed, Australia showed that it can produce fine-quality dry Rieslings. Two vintages of Gatt Wines High Eden Riesling were awarded Gold medals, and there were plenty of Silvers handed out to wines from the cool Eden and Clare Valleys. Elsewhere, Canada provided the judges with many delights. At the start of the day, Thirty Bench Wine Makers’ Sparkling Riesling woke up the judges and garnered a Gold medal. And the grand finale was Peller Estates Riesling Icewine from Niagara, which was awarded a Master.

Meanwhile, a complete surprise was a beautiful, medium-dry Riesling from Casa Valduga in Brazil, which picked up a well-deserved Gold medal.

The judges agreed that Riesling is a joy to taste and drink. The wines are delicious, relatively low in alcohol, pristine and elegant. Showing texture, racy acidity often balanced by sweetness and, occasionally, a creamy nuance of older wood, these wines have a wide range of drinking opportunities, as aperitifs, as accompaniments to cheeses, and as foils for savoury or sweet dishes.

Sparkling Riesling – Dry (Up to 12g/l)

Dry Riesling (Up to 4g/l)

Medium Dry Riesling (4-12g/l)

Medium Sweet Riesling (12-45g/l)

Sweet Riesling (45g/l-plus)

Ice Wine

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Riesling Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine. The 2025 competition was judged on 5 November at COMO Halkin in London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolades – the titles of Riesling Master or Grand Master. This report features medal winners only. Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions, with a chance to appear in print and online, call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Aston at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com