2025 Helm Half Dry Riesling, Canberra District

While the aromas seem somewhat subdued, with scant lemon blossom and spice, it’s all about texture with this wine. Soft and supple across the palate with flavours of lemon curd, fresh citrus and yellow peaches. The acidity tends to drop off on the finish yet it's still a lovely drink. Drink 2025 to 2032.

90 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, December 2025

Ken Helm AM planted his first vines in Murrumbateman in 1973, making Helm Wines one of the oldest wineries in Canberra District. Ken has spent decades championing both the region and the Riesling variety — instigating the Canberra International Riesling Challenge and being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010 for his contribution to the Australian wine industry. Rieslings remain the heart of the range, made with the kind of quiet confidence that comes from fifty years of knowing a place well.

Helm's Half Dry Riesling is made in the Halbtrocken style, a German tradition of leaving a small measure of natural sweetness in the wine, as a play of texture and tension alongside the acidity. This is the 17th vintage of the style, with Ken refining the balance between fruit, acid and sweetness throughout.

The wine is inviting, soft and supple, with lemon blossom and spice on the nose, flowing to curd, fresh citrus and yellow peach on the palate. The residual sweetness gives the wine a round, cushioned texture that makes it immediately pleasurable without tipping into the sweet register.

Lean on Central European food traditions with this one. The wine's texture and modest alcohol sit naturally alongside rich, savoury food without overwhelming it: roast pork belly with apple and fennel, a creamy leek and potato gratin, or pan-fried pork schnitzel with a squeeze of lemon.

You could also just put together a simple charcuterie board with mild soft cheese and stone fruit — the wine's peachy fruit and gentle sweetness are in natural harmony with the food rather than in contrast to it.

This wine is best enjoyed within a year or two from its release.