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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Wine of Note: Grüner Veltliner

Graf Georg von Ziger, my principal Steampunk Persona, is Austrian. This is in homage to my maternal grandparents, both of whom grew up in Vienna, Austria, and lived there until they were forced out during the Holocaust. In honor of his (and their) nationality, I would like to bring a wine to your attention.

Grüner Veltliner is the most popular grape in Austria. It creates a wine that is full of "expressive fruit" character, with a "typical pepper and grapefruit note," according to the winemakers who create the particular bottle I'm going to recommend to you today.

Wolfgang Grüner Veltliner is a delicious wine. I first had it about a month ago, and wasn't impressed. I'd already tasted several other wines that evening, all of them with much fuller flavors than this wine, which made it seem flat and boring by comparison.

I decided to give it a second chance, however, after having another sip at the end of that evening and being more intrigued by it; further, after tasting Sauvignon Blancs, Muscadets, and Chardonnays back-to-back, I had a better appreciation for the subtleties of white wine; with that knowledge now in place, this wine does not disappoint. It's similar, I would say, to a Sauvignon blanc, in that it has a lightly fruity flavor with a crispness about it that makes it very easy to drink. It's not like a Chardonnay, packed full of flavors; it's more delicate, more subtle, and more refined.

It's a wonderful wine, and what's more, it's only $11.99 for a bottle here in Michigan. Look for it, Aaron recommends it.

1 comment:

  1. First of all my Favourite is Red Wine tiype "St.Laurent" of the Austrian Stift Klosterneuburg - if you can get a hold on the Bottle, try it and you'll understand, why.

    As to Grüner Veltliner, I don't know the brand you've mentioned, but I like like the one from Vineyard Strell the moste because most Veltliner are too sour for my taste :D

    Ok, I AM in fact austrian, as you might have guessed *haha*

    So I'd like to make a very traditional suggestion the way how to drink "Grüner Veltliner":
    you should mix it with sparkling mineral Water - it's a very common way to consume it in Austria.

    It's very refreshing in Summer and for that you don't even need the right wine-glasses ;)

    ReplyDelete

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