Summer is here, which means we're putting away our full-bodied bottles of merlot and breaking out some fridge-chilled white wine to sip in the sunshine. There's nothing quite like a crisp glass of riesling collecting condensation while you pop on your sunnies and scope out the patio — but have you ever wondered what the white grape from Germany is all about?

Despite its reputation for sweetness, the aromatic grape — which has origins that date back to the 15th century — presents itself in a variety of styles, ranging from bone dry to sweet dessert wine and even sparkling. To assist us with our riesling wrangling, we enlisted the help of Nabilah Rawji, a George Brown College educator and certified sommelier who has led wine programs at Oliver & Bonacini and the Shangri-La Toronto.

Rawji is also a founder at Vinequity, which strives to provide equitable treatment for the BIPOC and LBGTQ+ community, or anyone living with a disability within the wine industry. In episode five of In the Kitchen with Foodism: Back to Basics, our bonafide wine expert walks us through the history of the high-acidity wine, how to taste it and what to pair with it. Plus, she shares some fun Ontario expressions of the versatile grape.

George Brown College's Advanced Wine & Beverage Business Management Program helps students to level up their wine knowledge with a work-integrated course. In their state-of-the-art tasting labs, students will explore global beverages and their relationship to business, cuisine, culture and lifestyle.

From sipping and swilling to perusing the aisles at your local wine shop, Rawji gives you the tools to understand and enjoy riesling, whatever the reason.

Keen to start sipping? Watch Nabilah Rawji's full guide to riesling above.