Exploring Grüner Veltliner, the flag-ship grape of Austria
Jane Nisbet Huseby
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.
Grüner Veltliner grapes on the vine. Courtesy of austrianwines.com
Why we should drink more Grüner Veltliner
I think many wine lovers have still to discover the beautiful wines Grüner Veltliner can produce. In my opinion it can pair much better with a wider range of dishes than many Rieslings and isn´t knocked off balance by green vegetables or many of the root vegetables we enjoy in Norway. You have everything for young light-bodied fruity wines which are great with salads, to more austere complex yet precise bottlings from some of the top single vineyards known as Rieds in Austria which can stand their ground well with even more fatty pork dishes.
Where can we find the best Grüner Veltliners?
The best Grüner Veltliners without doubt come from the three top DAC regions within the Niederösterreich along the banks of the Danube River, namely Kremstal, Kamptal and Wachau
Did you know?
DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) is the legal abbreviation for an Austrian Qualiätswein showing typicity of a particular region. This is similar to the AOC appellation system in France or the DOC/DOCG system in Italy. There are currently 18 DAC appellations in Austria.
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.
Kremstal DAC
Producer: Petra Unger.
With only 11 ha of vineyards located on both sides of the Danube in the Kremstal DAC, Petra makes some superb fresh and expressive white wines. On single vineyard locations, her distinctive mineral-driven wines, both Riesling and Grüner Veltliner are always enjoyable. In May 2024, Petra Unger was awarded the International Riesling Trophy for Austria by the International Wine Challenge (IWC).
Petra Unger Gottschelle Grüner Veltiner 2020, Kremstal, Austria
VMP: 13370701 bestillingsutvalget
Pris: 256,90 kr. Link til VMP
Winemaking: 100% Grüner Veltliner, hand-picked grapes, 20 year vines. Fermentation in stainless steel, followed by short ageing in tank prior to bottling
13% abv
Tasting Notes:
Gottsschelle is a superb single vineyard (Ried in Austria)
Pale gold, beautiful focussed fruit – white blossom, lemon, white peach, yellow apple with hints of white pepper, wet stones. Dry on the palate, ample concentration and a lengthy finish. Firm structure. Can drink now but will age well over the next 5 – 8 years or more.
Food pairing: perfect with salads, chicken or fish dishes with autumn oven-baked vegetables
Points: 92
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Kamptal DAC
Producer: Weingut Rabl
Rabl is known as one of the most prestigious producers in Austria producing wines which are pure, mineral-driven and powerful wines which are extremely age-worthy. Weingut Rabl has been making wines in Kamptal for more than 300 years and today father and son team Rudolf and Rud run the 80 hectares of vineyards. Look at for special releases of their aged wines from single vineyards (Ried) – especially in magnums as they are fabulous to open and enjoy with friends.
Rabl Grüner Veltliner 2023, Kamptal, Austria
VMP: 18044301 bestillingsutvalget
Pris: 164,90 kr. Link til VMP
winemaking: 100% Grüner Veltliner, 4 hours cold maceration prior to fermentation in stainless steel. Short ageing in tank prior to bottling
11,5% abv
Tasting Notes:
This wine is the calling card of Rabl in the Kamptal DAC. It gives you an introduction to Grüner Veltliner and invites you to immediately enjoy its youthful fruity flavours, whilst it also tempts you to up-grade to try some of Rabl´s more complex powerful wines next time.
Pale gold. Quite aromatic with moderate concentration of lemon, green apple and white peach, white pepper and celery. Dry and light bodied with refreshing acidity and a clean finish. Enjoy now whilst young and fresh over next 1 – 3 years.
Food pairing: Enjoy with green salads, chicken dishes, asian rice dishes and sushi.
Points: 90
Wachau DAC
Producer: Domäne Wachau
Domäne Wachau is without doubt the estate to watch from the Wachau. Led by Master of Wine Roman Horvath and Heinz Frischengruber, they have built up an impressive co-operative with over 160 ha of organic vineyards. Each vigneron cultivates less than 2 ha of vines each, allowing them to focus on the specific needs of each individual plot, including important single vineyards (Rieds) such as Achleiten, Brandstatt and Kellenberg.
Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Steinfeder 2023, Wachau, Austria
VMP: 17269201 Basisutvalget
Pris: 159,90 kr. Link til VMP
winemaking: 100% Grüner Veltliner, 4 hours cold maceration prior to fermentation in stainless steel. Short ageing in tank prior to bottling
11,5% abv
Tasting Notes:
This wine is a great introduction to Grüner Veltliner from Wachau, it´s classified as Steinfeder, which is a classification particular to Wachau DAC referring to grapes picked just ripe during the first 8 – 10 days of the harvest perid to produce light presh wines with lower alcohol.
Pale gold. Aromatic lemon and citrus fruits, crunchy green apples, hints of white pepper, and dried herbs. Dry, steely mid-palate with citrus, orange peel and apple and a clean refreshing finish. Enjoy now whilst young and fresh over next 1 – 3 years.
Food pairing: Enjoy with green salads, chicken dishes, asian rice dishes and sushi
Points: 90
Neiderösterriech
Producer: New Chapter
New Chapter is a project started by two men, Lenz and Markus who dedicated their lives to excelling with the Gruner Veltliner grape. New Chapter is an ambitious project to show the potential Gruner Veltliner from Austria as a source of producing beautifully complex wines. Grapes come from their well-known fellow wine producer Marcus Huber and associated vineyards (120 ha). Their focus is on making only one wine, from a blend of the best parcels to create a wine that will age well, using fully ripe grapes (harvested in early November!) with developed ripe phenolics. The wine is aged in a combination of neutral vessels and 10% new French oak. A small production with large ambitions.
New Chapter Grüner Veltliner 2021, Lenzmark, Niederøsterriech, Østerike
VMP: 14217801 Bestillingsutvalget
Pris: 353,90 kr. Link til VMP OBS! Magnum er enda bedre Pris: 802,90 kr. Link til VMP
Winemaking: 100% Grüner Veltliner. 13% abv
Complex refreshing white wine from Austria´s flagship grape Grüner Veltliner
Tasting Notes: Pale gold. Complex and layered with white peach, white blossom, hints of vanilla, hazelnuts. Very elegant on the palate, with fine high acidity, focused zesty lemon, vanilla, peach, wet stones, white pepper. Finely textured, medium body and a long finish. Beautiful wine to enjoy with delicate white fish and butter-based sauces. Drink or store for 8 - 10 years
Points: 94 pts
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