Gruner Veltliner
With some time to kill and wanting to see the countryside, but obviously not able to drive ourselves, we hailed an Uber to go from northern Italy to Wachau, Austria right on the Danube (little did I know that I would need an additional credit card for this trip). We're going to drink wine from the most widely planted grape in the country, Gruner Veltliner.
As we arrive on the east bank of the river, we see a number of bottles set out for us. But, something is odd. None of them are the traditional 750 ml bottle that we are used to. No, the wine sometimes affectionately known as Gru-V is bottled in chubby, almost cylindrical with their short necks, 1 liter bottles with crown (you need a bottle opener, not a corkscrew) caps.
In Wachau, most Gru-V wine is grown on steep, terraced slopes that have almost no ability to retain soil. Winemakers believe that the stress from lack of soil enhances the flavor profile of Gru-V. Our wines are white with a slight very pale green tinge to them.
On the nose, our wines vary. Those from the plains closer to Vienna are more pedestrian in nature and meant to be consumed as soon as you can chill them to your liking (please not too cold). But the Wachau Gru-Vs are complex and ageworthy. In the plains wines, expect green apple, peach, and grapefruit with some effervescence. From the slopes of Wachau, expect a minerally wine with similar fruit coming to the fore, but also with significant notes of white pepper and even tobacco (yes, in a white wine). However, as the better wines age, expect them to become Burgundian in style (think of a great Montrachet with a bit of spice and a sparkly feel albeit without sparkle).
What should you pair with your Gru-V. If it's the plains-based wine, consider batter-fried food such as wiener schnitzel if you like the food of the region or good old southern fried chicken. Among the better wines, Gru-V is somewhat unique in being able to handle the varied spice and high acidity of known wine-killers asparagus, ginger, and curry.
Auf wiedersehen ... bis morgen.
As we arrive on the east bank of the river, we see a number of bottles set out for us. But, something is odd. None of them are the traditional 750 ml bottle that we are used to. No, the wine sometimes affectionately known as Gru-V is bottled in chubby, almost cylindrical with their short necks, 1 liter bottles with crown (you need a bottle opener, not a corkscrew) caps.
In Wachau, most Gru-V wine is grown on steep, terraced slopes that have almost no ability to retain soil. Winemakers believe that the stress from lack of soil enhances the flavor profile of Gru-V. Our wines are white with a slight very pale green tinge to them.
On the nose, our wines vary. Those from the plains closer to Vienna are more pedestrian in nature and meant to be consumed as soon as you can chill them to your liking (please not too cold). But the Wachau Gru-Vs are complex and ageworthy. In the plains wines, expect green apple, peach, and grapefruit with some effervescence. From the slopes of Wachau, expect a minerally wine with similar fruit coming to the fore, but also with significant notes of white pepper and even tobacco (yes, in a white wine). However, as the better wines age, expect them to become Burgundian in style (think of a great Montrachet with a bit of spice and a sparkly feel albeit without sparkle).
What should you pair with your Gru-V. If it's the plains-based wine, consider batter-fried food such as wiener schnitzel if you like the food of the region or good old southern fried chicken. Among the better wines, Gru-V is somewhat unique in being able to handle the varied spice and high acidity of known wine-killers asparagus, ginger, and curry.
Auf wiedersehen ... bis morgen.
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