Gruner veltliner sometimes gets a bad rap, especially in comparison with its better-known cousin, riesling, even though it is arguably Austria’s most famous grape variety. Although it comprises about a third of all Austrian vineyards, the steep landscape on which the best is grown means higher cost, so finding an everyday, affordable and excellent bottle is not as easy as you might think.
Mass-produced gruner can be too simple and dilute, with tart acidity washing away its tangy green fruit and its gingery, white peppery spiciness, which are usually what make it distinct from a punchy, dry riesling alternative. Global warming, too, has tarnished the glossiness of many a gruner, and we have found lots of lukewarm renditions with high alcohol (especially in 2017, with some reaching the dangerous 15 percent level). In such iterations can be found a waxy, fatty ripeness instead of the zingy acidity and spicy assertiveness that come from fresh, green fruit.
