Almost two years ago I took an amazing trip to Europe with my mom and two of my sisters. My mom’s maiden name is von Wellsheim (so Austrian!), so one of her bucket list items was to go visit the place her family was originally from. Our first stop was in France, but we spent the bulk of our trip gallivanting through Austria. We started in Vienna, trained our way to Salzburg, and then trekked to Hallstatt for the most fairytale-ish few days you could imagine. While dining in Austria, we lived it up and basically drank a glass of wine with every meal. It was really hard not to because a glass of their most well known varietal, Gruner Veltliner (grew-ner velt-lee-ner), was cheaper than water (literally!). Since then, I have had a soft spot in my heart for this particular grape–partially because of this trip, but also because it is just so tasty!
Gruner is typically from Austria, and makes up one third of all the grapes grown there. This particular Gruner is high in acidity, crisp, and also light-bodied. You can smell lime on the nose with peppery notes when you taste it. It makes it a perfect wine to drink on the patio on a warm day. Another bonus is that many Gruners, including this one, come in a liter bottle (as compared to a 750ml bottle that most wines come in), which is essentially an extra glass of wine (for free in my mind!). I found this bottle of Brunn Gruner Veltliner at Total Wine in Atlanta for $17.99.
Leave a Reply