Grüner Veltliner
What is it?
Grüner Veltliner is a white grape that is primarily grown in Austria [1]. The name "Grüner Veltliner" translates to "Green wine of Veltlin" [2]. Many of the characteristics of the resulting wines depend on where in Austria the grapes are grown; this is referred to as grape with terroir, which just means the wines take on characterics of the territory and climate. Many Grüner Veltliner wines have an herbaceous scent that is often described as white pepper. This peppery aroma comes from a chemical compound called Rotundone, which is actually the same chemical compound that makes Syrah wines taste peppery [2].
Primary flavors of Grüner Veltliner are starfruit, yellow apple, pear, gooseberry, asparagus, green bean, white pepper, crushed gravel, and flint [1, 2]. Note that the main sources we use for WOTW disagreed about the top 5 flavors, so we used all unique flavors given by both sources. We had this wine with pasta primavera. Traditionally, this wine is paired with Wiener Schnitzel [2].
Molly's Rating and Tasting Notes
8.0. On the nose, I mostly get apple and maybe wet gravel or clay. The taste has a lot of apple and maybe notes of pear. I don't think I know what star fruit tastes like, so maybe that's what I'm getting. There is a minerally note going on in the finish of the wine. I like this wine, enough that I might order it if I saw it on a menu somewhere. I'd recommend Gruner Veltliner to people who like white wines that air on the somewhat sweeter side.
Ryan's Rating and Tasting Notes
8.3. On the nose I get apple, pear, and something vegetal, possibly aspargus. I also get traces of egg yolk, pasta water, and Play-Doh. Upon tasting I am met with a rather juicy, yet not intensely flavorful wine. It's a little sweet, with a touch of acidity, and a dash of bitterness. It has a decent body, and coats the mouth. Some of the tasting notes I get are pear, yellow apple, green apple, and crushed up gravel. I also get an indescript sweetness similar to dragonfruit, and a little bit of sweet, warm spice as well. The finish is decently long, and quite pleasant if I must say. Although some of the more astringent flavors are present towards the end, the finish is actually quite nice and intriguing. Overall, a good wine that paired well with our salmon pasta. I would definitely have this one again and would look for it at restaurants.
References
[1] Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack. Wine Folly: The Master Guide. Avery - A Penguin Imprint, New York, NY, 2018.
[2] "Grüner Veltliner." Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/grapes/gruner-veltliner/. Accessed: August 2023.
Wines we haven't finished
- None this week!