Introduction to Grüner Veltliner, the flag-ship grape of Austria
Grüner Veltliner, a wonderful variety that is sometimes over-shadowed by Riesling – especially in Norway, yet in my opinion, Grüner Veltliner combined with food, can often be a much better match than many Rieslings.
When blind-tasting Grüner Veltliner, it can sometimes be confusing, so let´s have a look at the essentials of the grape.
Grüner Veltliner is distinctly an Austrian grape variety, in fact the most important grape of Austria dominating more than 32% of vineyard plantings in its native Austria, and almost 92% of this is planted in the Niederösterreich, Austria´s largest Qualitätswein wine-growing region.
Some people may confuse Grüner Veltliner with Riesling, as it also has a fairly high acidity and usually un-oaked. However, it´s made normally as a dry wine, unlike Riesling which is made in a whole range of styles from dry to sweet. In addition, Grüner Veltliner has aromas of green apples, citrus, green peppercorns and celery which can evolve into quite a seductive Burgundian touch, and are quite distinctive from citrusy lime, floral and sometimes tropical notes of Riesling which evolve into honey and petrol notes with ageing.
Both varieties can cleverly reflect their terroir when grown in the right place, with distinctive stoniness on the mid-palate, great concentration and length, as well as an incredible ability to age well.
All of my favourite Grüner Veltliner producers are from the three top DAC wine regions within the region of Niederösterreich, including Petra Unger (Kremstal), Rabl (Kamptal) and Domäne Wachau (Wachau).
Each DAC has some similarities and some differences, but today I would like to focus on some great wines to get to know these regions.
Today to introduce you to Grüner Veltliner, I have selected 4 wines that are both economical and great examples of the variety for each region, plus a great Grüner Veltliner fra New Chapter which I thought was well-worth mentioning.
Tasting notes by Jane Nisbet Huseby.
OBS: Hvorfor er smaksnotatene på engelsk? Jane Nisbet Huseby har engelsk som morsmål og synes at det gir mer forståelse til leseren, av vinens nyanser i detaljer når hun skriver på engelsk enn på norsk slik at dette kan hjelpe leseren videre i sin vinforståelse.
