A widely planted and well-known varietal of central and eastern Europe. In no way related to true Riesling. Welschriesling has many synonyms, including Welsch Rizling (Bulgaria), Laski Rizling (the former Yugoslavia), Olasz Rizling (Hungary), Gras Evina (Croatia), and Riesling Italico (Italy). The wine is best known for producing dry wines that are light, slightly floral and have a nice blend of citrus and stone fruits. Welschriesling takes well to warmer climates, as in cooler climates it can be overly acidic. More productive than true Riesling (which is usually called Johannisberg or Rheinriesling when it is found in the same regions as Welschreisling) though generally it is not as long-lived or as fragrant as its similarly named counterpart.
The best examples of Welschriesling hail from the Burgenland area of Austria where it can be found in both dry and sweet versions. Fine wines of Trockenbeerenauslese levels of Noble Rot made from the Welschriesling are not uncommon. Dry versions can be found extensively in the northern Italian regions of Trentino, Collio and Friuli, as well as in Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and other areas of the former Soviet Republic.
White