Gruner Veltliner

The grape of Austria this white wine grape variety will never achieve greatness but will rarely disappoint either. It is suitable for people who like to drink their wine to quench their thirst rather than sit and ponder after each sip.

A late ripener , Gruner needs a mild autumn that cannot be offered further north. Best while drank young , this wine has pretty good acidity and is medium in body. It has a pale green tinge , somewhat fruity and is dry. It's hallmark is the white pepper and spice on the nose that creates a muskiness in the aroma. I have noticed some grapefruit on the nose as well when I have tried it. It also has a slight spritz on the palate too.

Gruner started out as a wine for the cafes of Vienna grown especially in the Wachau , Kremstal , and Kamptal regions of Austria but now has spread over the Czech Republic border in Moravia and has found home in Hungary , Romania , and what was once Yugoslavia.

With this wine it would go well with a breaded veal escalope which is a favourite Austrian dish served with potato salad and also freshwater fish such as a pike , trout , perch , served up garlicky. Gruner is great for cutting through fatty and flour rich meals such as the breaded veal escalope just mentioned. Or a local dish like that of Burgenland near the Hungarian border called Schindbraten , a dish of pork with hot paprika which matches up well with the white pepper spice of a Gruner.

Next week I will have another grape variety. I am staying clear of the mainstream grape varieties to make the post more interesting to catch each week.

Any thoughts on this post or others let me know.