It seems to me almost an overnight phenomenon that everyone is talking about – and drinking – Grüner Veltliner. What I know is that it is the most planted varietal in Austria and that it is a food friendly white wine.
Of course, while trendy to many now, I realize that this wine started emerging in popularity years ago. Yet, I see the wine popping up on more restaurant menus, and wine shops are carrying larger selections of the grape. And, of course, there was the first Grüner-dedicated tasting that I knew about and that I attended at Crush tonight.
There were roughly a dozen Grüners to taste, and only one or two that I found flat and uninteresting. For the most part, the offerings possessed a riesling-like quality, and demonstrated traits of the terroir. Some tasted off dry to me, though all are considered dry white table wine.
I learned that while Grüner is often drank young, some have the potential to age for years. The wines offered ranged from 11.5% abv to 14%.
Among my favorites were the 2007 Prager Achleiten Stockkultur ($69.95), the 2008 FX Pichler Klostersatz Federspiel ($37.95), the 2008 Jutta Reisenberg Alte Reben ($34.99), and the 2008 Graf Hardegg Veltlinsky ($13.99).
I’m still not convinced that this could be my go-to wine. After tasting such a broad selection, I am still partial to white Burgundy and the Italian whites of Campania. I still feel that the Austrian region is so foreign to me and difficult to really comprehend in terms of wine regions and laws.
Still, I did buy two bottles. First, the 2008 Graf Hardegg Veltlinsky, which I thought was a great value, containing crisp acidity, light body and only 12% alcohol, making it more dry than some of the others at the tasting. Second, the 2008 FX Pichler Klostersatz Federspiel, which is Pichler’s entry level wine and has a clean noes, green and stone fruit, and may be aged for up to 20-30 years, according to the representative that was pouring this evening.
Of course, I still came home and opened a bottle of 2008 Ocone Falanghina Taburno, which I thought was the perfect pairing with my seafood risotto. And for those of you who read my previous post on the wine, this one was not corked.
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