Part 1- Austria’s Flagship Wine: Grüner Veltliner

If you had to describe Austria in a bottle of wine, Grüner Veltliner would be the perfect expression.

A wine known for centuries and perhaps consumed by the Romans, it wasn’t until the mid 19^th century that this variety took on its current name, Grüner Veltliner.

Austria offers the perfect climate to produce this dry, fruity wine.

Today, it is planted in over one third of Austria’s vineyards and served at the finest restaurants around the world.

The characteristics:

Dry, fruity in flavor and smell — I consistently taste lemon, with a very fine white pepper, spicy after-taste.

This of course, depends on the region and winemakers, which can make wines within the Grüner Veltliner variety as different and distinct as Pollak and Renoir paintings. Within this realm, I’ll get anything from green apples to honey, oaky creaminess to heavy minerality.

Generally, Grüner Veltliners tend to be full-bodied, well-made, well-balanced, fresh, and fun. See my notes on food below and you’ll be blown away.

The Rules:

A Classic Grüner Veltliner is not oaky and has a minimum alcohol content of 12%. The Reserve on the other hand is a bit oaky and minimum alcohol content is 13%.

The Grüner Veltliner Difference:

An aspect so fascinating and rare about the white Grüner Veltliner is its amazing ability to age, unlike many white wines.

With that being said, Austrians love their wines young, so most of the product is destined for immediate consumption. But, nevertheless, I thought it worth the mention… you never know when you’ll get your hands on a really great bottle of Reserve Grüner Veltliner! It could add some diversity to your wine collection.

Food Pairings:

When it comes to food pairings,  Grüner Veltliner deserves all the diversity accolades. Spicy Asian food, Japanese sushi, Indian curry, Spanish tapas, Austrian Wienerschnitzel, French cuisine, seafood, tofu, olives… you name it, you can pair it with Grüner Veltliner!

In fact, have you ever considered what wine could not only taste great with egg, but make an egg taste delightful? You guessed it… Grüner Veltliner. A rare accomplishment, indeed.

All eyes on Grüner Veltliner:

This grape variety is increasing in worldwide popularity and definitely worth keeping an eye on in the upcoming months and years. It’s an all-around fun, fresh wine you can enjoy anytime of year with a wide variety of foods and palates.

Stay tuned… there’s more to come in this series:

Part 2: Wine Tourism in Austria’s Weinviertel & wine reviews

Part 3: The Danube Region

(Photos courtesy of Weinviertel DAC)