If The Fat Duck was the highlight of my recent trip to the UK, there was plenty else of interest to digest and enjoy.

The Riesling tasting I mentioned before I left was a little disappointing in that only two UK journalists managed to attend: Julia Harding MW, who judged on last year’s Trophy Wine Show, and Fiona Beckett, a Decanter contributor. Gary Jordan and I made up the South African contingent. According to Just Riesling’s Paul Cluver, some eight international judges confirmed at one stage, but the week of the London Wine Trade Fair is an exceptionally busy time for everyone in the wine industry; I know of at least two other tastings that Monday, the day before the Fair opened.

Then again, South Africa is little known for riesling (other than the notorious linkage with crouchen blanc), so wherein lies the attraction for journalists who were more drawn to Canadian chardonnay or whatever?

A pity, as the tasting revealed the quality curve is upwards. Admittedly only seven of the 17 producers listed in Platter (the unlisted Deetlefs makes 18) entered but the 16 wines seemed a fair representation of the current state of affairs and were made up of ten under 20 grams of residual sugar, six above and with the majority from the excellent 2009 vintage. These were tasted blind with an auditor observing’ fair play’.

My notes on the drier styles frequently mention delicate lime and spice with some pleasing liveliness thanks to good sugar/acid balance, though the essential thrill factor that sets the best rieslings apart is often the missing factor. And majorly so in the Deetlefs pair; although this Rawsonville property has a long association with riesling (years ago under the Lebensraum name), it’s probably better suited to other varieties, considering the quality of riesling now being produced elsewhere in the Cape winelands.

The sweeter styles did deliver some quite thrilling tension and well-judged botrytis ensured varietal character wasn’t swamped. Sweetness was a feature none of us initially detected in the new Paul Cluver Close Encounter 2009; we repeatedly queried the declared its 39 grams of sugar, finding it somewhat insipid with raspingly high acid. What a difference a little air made! If you’re tempted to try it now, make sure to decant to better appreciate its taut delicacy. It will be interesting to see consumer reaction.

The results saw most of the drier styles on a creditable 15, including Klein Constantia 2009, which had at that moment been announced the Trophy Wine Show Trophy winner (that’s Gary Jordan holding the bottle aloft), but the outright favourite, including mine, was De Wetshof 2009 (not a TWS entry). Subtle, complex, beautifully balanced, delicate yet concentrated and with excellent maturation potential, it’s a gem and the best yet from this Robertson producer – better known for Danie de Wet’s chardonnays! – and will hopefully encourage more of this area’s producers to consider including the variety.

The stickies were, as always, delicious: Klein Constantia 2006 and Jordan Mellifera 2008 were both awarded a well-deserved 17, the Mellifera 2006 16, suggesting the benefits of age, but the wine that wowed us, as much as the Decanter judges, who awarded it the best SA dessert over £10,  was the Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest 2009. Both Julia and I gave an enthusiastic 19.

All this was born in mind as I wandered through the world of riesling over the three days of the Fair.  To avoid too much of a bias, I deliberately tasted German Rieslings last and at last found a real sense of place. Alright, I agree Alsatian and some Australian Rieslings announce their origin, but my experiences revealed little thumbprint from elsewhere.

If Australian riesling is most associated with the Clare and Eden Valleys, they are not the only areas capable of delivering smart examples. One I really enjoyed came was not at the Fair, but with Anthony and Charmaine Rose. The Barretts 1998, from Portland in the coastal far west of Victoria, had a smoky, peppery complexity with a freshness that belied its age; certainly it had matured better than the Grosset 2001 I’d opened at our Sunday tasting a month or so ago.

As much as riesling is receiving a lot of attention, I kept being reminded that everywhere, bar Germany, the grape is sidelined by other white varieties. gruner veltliner is Austria’s main calling card, likewise sauvignon blanc for New Zealand and ourselves; Chile, where riesling accounts for a mere 330-odd hectares of the 117, 559 ha under vine, is also giving it more attention as cooler areas are opening up, but the country is far better known for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. (These figures compares with our approximately 215ha of riesling from a total vineyard area of just over 101 000ha). Washington State might have Eroica, the joint venture with Ernie Loosen and Ch St Michelle’s own 200 000 case label – 10 times the entire South African production! - but quantity nothwithstanding, to my mind riesling isn’t the automatic varietal association with Washington. Also, it wasn’t the best I came across.

There are lovely and underrated examples from New Zealand; Waipara Springs have three quite different and attractive versions, one with much lower alcohol. Where there is sugar, the sweetness is rather more honest and becoming than in the Kiwis increasingly flash sauvignons. The rieslings from Austrian producers Hoch in Kremstal and Leth in Wagram, both excellent, show the variety can achieve both structure and richness with vibrancy, while Rabl’s Kamptal Trockenbeerenauslese 2007 is all lightness with fragrant spice, elegant botrytis and perfectly balanced 300 grams per litre of sugar with 9 grams of acid. (I did suggest Herr Rabl and Paul Cluver taste each other’s wines, as each seems the epitome of what their respective countries can produce.)

I left with more than a degree of encouragement for our rieslings. I don’t suggest it’ll ever be a major player here but as the producer members of Just Riesling put serious effort into acquiring better vine material, identifying suitable sites and experimenting with different styles, so the variety will add to South Africa’s overall quality image and benefit winelovers.

The world of wine remains ever competitive. This photo, taken at the Decanter Awards’ stand reminds one how difficult it is to succeed, even with quality and smart marketing.