This is a re-release of a posting by Gary Chevsky of the Iron Chevsky Wine Blog, in which he recommends “Christian Schiller's most informative blog”. This is about Austrian wines.
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Gruner Veltliner for Christmas?
Best darn rack of pork I've ever had, courtesy of Fima.
On the first day of Christmas... I was going to serve Champagne with dinner. Gruner Veltliner was supposed to be a pre-dinner curiosity drink. But when my mom and I gave the 2008 Forstreiter Gruner Veltliner Schiefer Reserve from Kremstal DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) a sip, I thought I heard jingle bells. At just under $20 (at WineChateau.com), this wine delivered outstanding QPR this holiday season.
Champagne? What Champagne! The bottle of Gruner lasted us all through the meal. It worked with both the salad (of Romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and home-made Caesar style dressing with anchovies, mustard, and olive oil) and with an incredible rack of pork that my step-dad Fima roasted to moist, juicy, savory, sweet perfection!
Gruner Veltliner (or "grooner" or "gru-vee") is the wine grape of Austria. If you think Zweigelt, Zierfandler, and Rotgipfler are too obscure for you, you might actually recognize Gruner. It's a sort of Austria's answer to German Riesling. Austrians make world-class Riesling too, but that's minority of their production.
Gruner Veltiners have great minerality. Completely dry, crisp and clean, without sugar or oak masking anything, the crushed stones in the Austrian wine feel alive, almost like drinking electron-infused mineral water. That, combined with tangy citrus peel, hints of apples and peaches woven into inexplicable complexity with razor-focused acidity makes Gruner a versatile and impressive white wine.
Why would anyone outside of Austria drink Gruner Veltliner? Well, as someone who drinks a lot of wine from around the world, and especially Old World, after dipping into a couple of Gruners over this past weekend, I am a fan. In fact, I would put them into the same league of nobility as Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. To learn more about the ins and outs of Austrian wines, I recommend Christian Schiller's most informative blog and the official Austrian Wine website.
As much as I like the whites of Italy, especially Friuli, Veneto, and Campania, I have to say - from my recent experiences with Austrian wines, they are starting to earn a spot in my virtual white wine hierarchy alongside Germany, just below France.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
http://www.chevsky.com/2010/12/gruner-veltliner-for-christmas.html
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Specifically, the Iron Chevsky recommends:
Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner
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About Gary Chevsky
“If this blog doesn't enhance your wine life, if it doesn't make you hungry and thirsty, then I've failed. I write not about wine, but about life made better by wine. A meal without wine is lost opportunity. I am "Iron Chevsky", WSET-certified wine aficionado and software industry executive. Back in the early days of the internet, I was the founding member of the team Ask Jeeves. These days I still make my money in tech, and spend my money in wine. Thank goodness, Silicon Valley is good for both.”
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Visit: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. and his Weingut Wohlmuth in Austria
Dinner with Wine Maker Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., his Wines and the Food of Steierland’s Chef Ruth Stelzer, Austria
Meeting Gerhard Wohlmuth jun. from Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria, and Tasting his Wines in Washington DC
Meeting a Wine Maker and an Art Lover: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria
Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger
With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine
Tasting Leo Hillinger Red Wines with Leo Hillinger’s Assistant Winemaker Michael Hoeffken and US Importer Klaus Wittauer
Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria
Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner
At the Forefront of Biodynamic Winemaking: Visiting Werner and Angela Michlits and their Weingut Meinklang in Austria
Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria
Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2010
Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2011
Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2012