Gruner Veltliner
In these days of cool mornings with warmer afternoon and knowing that SUMMER is actually coming, i find myself trying to decide what wine to drink….morning seems like a red (albeit a light red) kinda day so I pull a bottle and think ‘yup - that’s the one’ then the sun shows and I feel like white, rose or even a lighter orange….definitely not a real life crisis but something I ponder.
Then it hit me - GRUNER VELTLINER!! One of the perfect whites that can also provide enough body and structure to play nicely when I’m craving a light red.
Luckily, we had two women-made Gruner’s in the shop so Marina & I promptly opened them for the sake of research. Definitely wanted to share with you so when we couldn’t decide which was our favorite, the decision was obvious - BOTH!!
Quick bit of info on the grape – mostly found in Austria (32+% of all grapes planted in the country!), there are plantings all over the world. In the Czech Republic, it accounts for 11% of wine production and Hungary, Slovakia (20%), Oregon are on board - heck, it’s even being grown in Virginia (the state!) & Australia (the country!). Sorry couldn’t resist - lol! Anyway, this food-friendly / mid-ripening grape may finally be getting the recognition it deserves and I think with climate chang affecting all parts of the world, we’re gonna see more and more being grown in places we’d never thought of as ‘wine regions’.
OH!! And FUN NOTE - one of the grapes identified as a parent is mostly unknown and only a single, abandoned, very old and weakened vine was found in Burgenland many years ago. This vine is now called St. Georgener-Rebe and has been designated a protected natural monument by the Austrian government after an attempt on its life was made by an ‘unknown assailant’. And luckily, viticulurists are now working on gently propagating this one last vine to preserve this unknown grape - we’ll see what comes.
The other parent is Savagnin - a vine most commonly found in the Jura. It’s like a movie meets history and wine which is hella cool and sorta my dream job!!
Back to the grape at hand - classic Gruner tends be fuller-bodied and to have descriptors like ‘dry, spice with hints of white pepper’ - in my experience, it really reflects the soil plus the way it is treated in the vineyard and cellar. Read on for more info and descriptors:::::
We’ve got a few in the shop so come by check it out!!
Eschenhof Holzer:
this winery is in Grossriedenthal within Austria's Wagram region. Winemaker Arnold Holzer - 100% Gruner Veltliner from 10-15 year old vines. Fun and fresh. A little fruity with just enough acidity to keep you sipping and sipping plus those bubbles keep it all fresh so YES!!!!. Don't bother using the flip top closure, you'll be done with it in no time! Better get 2!
Kelley Fox:
in Kelley’s own words : "This Grüner is a really fun wine to produce, and I’m happy to offer this very small bottling to you. Tank-fermented, élevage in a concrete amphora tank, and is ML-complete. The colour is a transparent, high-energy pale yellow with youthful undertones of the palest spring green. I love looking at it in the glass. The nose is full of fresh, lush citrus with minerals and a hint of delicious spice. The texture is both rich and weightless, and yes, it has the classic Grüner finish of a touch of white pepper. It has wonderful acidity one might expect from an alpine wine. For me, this wine has resplendent energy. Appellation: Willamette Valley A.V.A. Picking Dates: Chehalem Mountain Vineyard: 21 October 2022. Hotel Vineyard: 30 October 2022 Bottling Date: 16 March 2023 Alcohol: 13.5 % Cases Produced: 140"