Austria's Grüner Veltliner Stands the Test of Time

The Scenic vineyards of Salomon Undhof overlook the Danube River

The first time I was introduced to Grüner Veltliner was in the early 1990s at Aureole, Charlie Palmer’s madly popular American restaurant (sadly, now permanently closed). The waiter noticed my hesitation when it came to ordering the wine. “Maybe you would like a Grüner Veltliner,” he casually remarked. Grooner what?! I had never heard of this Austrian white wine, but I went for it, having grown tired of my usual grassy Sauvignon Blancs and buttery Chardonnays.

And from the very first sip, I knew this crisp and peppery white wine would become my new go-to. Soon after, I noticed that Grüner was being poured at all the hot Manhattan restaurants. Wine lovers had taken to this drink like bees to honey.

Suddenly, wine critics had a new darling. Jancis Robinson declared the wine an essential ingredient of any successful wine program. “No self-respecting restaurant wine list, whether in New York or Hong Kong, can afford to be without at least one example of this, Austria’s signature white grape,” she said.

In 2003, Eric Asimov wrote in the New York Times that Austrian winemakers had finally let the oenological cat out of the bag. “Austrian winemakers have been . . . whispering in the ear of anyone who would listen: ‘Austrian wines are the wine world’s best-kept secret,’” Asimov wrote. “Well, they are a secret no longer. . . and the wine world is a better place for it.”

And while Grüner Veltliner is no longer the “it” wine of the season, the best examples (and there are many!) have remained popular for good reason, namely the wine’s unique range of styles and its food-friendliness.

Grüner Veltliner grapes. Photo courtesy of Austrian Wine.

Diversity of Styles

Most Grüners are crisp and dry with a subtle, peach-like character. Many offer citrusy aromas of lemon peel and grapefruit, along with a distinctive whisper of white pepper. Yet there are versions that lean towards a richer, more complex style, capable of long aging. Similar to fine examples of Riesling (German, Austrian, Australian) and of Chardonnay (think Burgundy), the richer styles of Grüner can hold up, and become even better, with extended aging.

The boldest, most structured versions come from the Wachau region, where the wines are classified according to the ripeness (and therefore alcohol content) at harvest. Steinfeder indicates the least ripe, with wine under 11.3% alcohol, federspiel denotes medium ripeness, with 11.5 to 12.5% alcohol, and smaragd the most ripe, with an alcohol level above 12.5%.

Two other top Grüner Veltliner regions are Kamptal and Kremstal, where the wines tend to be medium-bodied and dry with a refreshing acidity and delicate herbal and stone fruit notes. Valerie Kathawala, German and Austrian wine specialist and co-editor of the forthcoming Trink Magazine, says that, generally speaking, Kamptal Grüners are classic, midweight wines, while Kremstal Grüners tend to be be juicier, but still refined.

However, Kathawala points out, it is the Weinvertiel region that flys the flag for Austria’s most famous grape. The area, in Austria’s northernmost grape growing terroir, is rich in old vine vineyards and boasts many microclimates and soil types. “This is the go-to region for cool, brisk, peppery expressions to be drunk young (often under screwcap to preserve their zip), says Kathawala. “Up a rung or two on the price scale, you'll find elegant, Burgundian Grüners from single vineyards, often marked out by a distinctive creaminess and salinity, built to gain depth with bottle age.”

Food Friendly Wines

Grüner Veltliner’s crisp acidity makes it a winning combination with most foods, and the wines taste lively no matter which style they are made in: light and citrusy, medium-bodied and herbal, or full-bodied and complex. And while Grüner pairs classically with Austrian dishes like Weiner Schnitzel and mayo-free Austrian potato salad (find the recipe here), it also goes well with other types of foods, from French cheeses and Italian salamis to Japanese sushi, spicy Thai dishes and more. The best Grüners even work well with difficult-to-pair foods like artichokes and asparagus.

Find Your Favorite Grüner (By Region)

Wachau

Franz Hirtzberger. Five generations of Hirtzbergers have been carefully tending vines planted in the Wachau beginning in the 13th Century. Sommelier Ebru Can, most recently at Manhattan’s L’Atelier Joël Robuchon, says she would serve a Franz Hirtzberger wine with Austrian potato salad. “I would pair the dish with Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Rotes Tor Federspiel 2017,” she said. “The wine is fresh and bright on the nose, and rich, powerful and slightly salty with lush fruit and a long finish. Acidity and vegetal green notes give freshness to this wine, helping it to pair with the dish.”

Other Wachau wine producers to look for: Nikolaihof (Demeter certified biodynamic) and Domäne Wachau, a cooperative of small wine growing families. (See my article, Getting to Know Domäne Wachau’s Food Friendly Wine).

Kremstal

Salomon Undhof.  This historic winery dates back to 1792 and is one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Austria. Famous for their excellent mineral-driven dry Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners, the family’s 30 hectares of vineyards are situated on the best terraced sites overlooking the Danube River. Today, eighth and ninth generations Bert and Gertrud Salomon and their two children, Fay and Bert, are continuing the company’s long legacy of creating elegant, food-friendly wines.

One of Fay’s favorite pairings is Salomon’s Ried Wachtberg or Ried Lindberg Grüner Veltliner with schnitzel and potato salad. “The Wachtberg and Lindberg Grüners are medium-bodied, silky-textured wines,” she says. “They combine with the crunchy breading of the schnitzel and the creaminess of the potato salad to make a harmonious trio.” And she should know — the Salomon family is one of the proprietors of Figlmüller, a famous Vienna Schnitzel restaurant.

Other worthy Kremstal producers: Mantlerhof and Stagard (look for their single vineyard wines), Stadt Krems, and Christoph Hoch (for natural wines).

Kamptal

Jurtschitsch. This organic winery, dating back to the sixteenth century, aims for a classic style of Kamptal wines, making terroir wines that strike a balance between ripe fruit and fresh acidity. As of 2016, they have started a second line of wines called, 'Discoveries of Langenlois' which are bottled under Alwin und Stefanie Jurtschitsch (see photo). These wines, produced with skin contact and low to no sulfur, are wonderfully light despite their multi-faceted complexity.

Other excellent Kamptal Grüner producers, all organic and/or biodynamic: Hager Matthias, Hirsch, Öhlzelt, Loimer, Weszeli, Birgit Echinger, Arndorfer, Warnung.

Weinviertel

Sohm & Kracher. The winery boasts a partnership between Aldo Sohm, Austrian native and wine director at New York City’s Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, and Gerhard Kracher, third generation Austrian winemaker of Kracher winery, renowned for its sweet dessert wines. Since the first vintage in 2009, Sohm & Kracher has kept a sharp focus on creating Grüner Veltliners of low to moderate alcohol and bright acidity. Look for the Sohm & Kracher Grüner Veltliner “Lion,” a wine that spends seven to eight months in stainless steel and “gives a classic expression of grüner veltliner’s primary aromas, brisk character, and potential for length.” (Schatzi Wines).

Other worthy Weinviertel producers: Johannes Zillinger and Michael Gindl.

Let’s raise our glasses of Grüner Veltliner and say, as they do in Austria, “Prost” (cheers) to wine, food, and friends.