Grüner veltliner users guide

Grüner Veltliner
A Users’ Guide
To The Iconic
Austrian Wine
Austrian Wines Direct www.austrian-
wines-direct.co.uk @AustrianWines

Grüner Veltliner
Name comes from Grüner,
meaning green, and the area
of Veltlin (Vatellina) in
Northern Italy. However, the
grape variety is not actually
grown there.

Known Aliases Include
• Weissgipfler
• Manhardsrebe
• Grüner Muskateller

Unrelated to....
• Grüner Veltliner has been proven
by DNA profiling to be unrelated
to other grape varieties that
include “Veltliner” in their name
such as Roter Veltliner, Brauner
Veltliner or Frühroter Veltliner

Most Widely Grown Grape
Variety in Austria
• Grüner Veltliner accounts for
approximately one half of white
wine production and one third of
all wine production in Austria.

Almost Ubiquitous
in Austria
• Grown widely across all quality
wine growing regions of Austria
with the exception of Steiermark.

Amazingly Food-Friendly
• Widely regarded as the most food-
friendly wine in the world.
• Can accompany anything from beef
to seafood.
• Superb with “difficult to match”
dishes including Asian food,
asparagus

Rise to Fame
Three important factors account for the high
quality and international standing of Austrian
Grüner Veltliner today
• In the 1950s Lenz Moser high training system
improved frost protection, exposure to sunlight and
ease of production.
• Post 1985 reforms in Austrian wine law encouraged
the production of high quality wine.
• In a 2002 blind tasting organised by leading Masters
of Wine Austrian Grüner Veltliner beat highly prized
Grand Cru Chardonnays.

History
• Dates from at least the time of the ancient
Romans.
• Hybrid variety from a cross between
Traminer and a recently rediscovered and
almost extinct variety now named St.
Georgener-Rebe (after the village where it
was rediscovered.)

Flexible and Variable
• Grüner Veltliner can be drunk in a
variety of styles
–Young in bars that specialise in serving
new wine
–Sparkling wine or Sekt
–Mature – many of the best examples are
capable of long aging

Distribution
• Indigenous to Austria which remains
by far the most important producer
of Grüner Veltliner
• Also grown in Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Slovenia, New Zealand,
Australia and the United States

Regional Characteristics
• Each district producing Grüner
Veltliner has its own
characteristics, predominant
soil types and microclimates

Grüner Veltliner DAC
• Pioneered in Weinviertel district in 2003
• Five of the sixteen quality wine producing
areas in Austria now produce their own
version of Grüner Veltliner DAC
• Kamptal
• Kremstal
• Leithaberg (Neusiedlersee-Hügelland)
• Traisental
• Weinviertel

Kamptal District
Warm days and cool nights as the grapes mature
combine to give a perfect climate for startlingly
good Grüner Veltliner. Soils ranging from deep
loess to loam to primary rock add variety.
• DAC requirements
– Classic: fruit-driven aromas, gentle spice, no
botrytis notes and no oak notes.
1
– Reserve: opulent style, pronounced regional
and varietal character, full bodied with a
lingering finish. Subtle botrytis notes or oak
aging are acceptable
1
.

Kremstal District
Primary rock in the west helps to produce
minerally Grüner Veltliners that can rival those of
the neighbouring Wachau. To the east deep
loess soils produce more opulent examples.
• DAC Requirements
– Classic: fresh, fruit driven aromas, aromatic, gentle spice,
no botrytis, no oak notes
1
.
– Reserve: opulent and full-bodied wines with pronounced
varietal characters, density and with great
length. Subtle botrytis and oak aging aromas are
permitted
1
.

Leithaberg District
Primary rock soils, rich in calcium carbonate,
produce characteristically minerally and full-
bodied wines including Grüner Veltliner
– Taste: Regionally typical, compact, spicy, delicate
with minerals, little or no use of oak1
.
– Aroma: regionally typical bouquet, fruity, spicy
and refreshing, pleasant primary fruit aromas.1

Traisental District
Grüner Veltliner is the predominant variety in
Traisental and is mostly grown in calcareous
gravel, producing full-bodied, vibrant Grüner
Veltliner with good aging potential
• DAC requirements
– Classic: fresh, fruity, aromatic, spicy, no botrytis, no
oak notes. Minimum 12% alcohol1,2
.
– Reserve: as Classic, but with higher density and
length in the finish. Minimum 13% alcohol2
.

Weinviertel District
A complexity of microclimates and soil types
give the Weinviertel district a wonderful
variety of wines including not only Grüner
Veltliner but a host of other indigenous
varieties.
– Classic: aromatic, spicy, pepper notes, no
botrytis, no oak notes1
.
– Reserve: dry, full-bodied, spicy, subtle botrytis
notes and oak aging allowed.1

Wachau District
• Wachau district is home to some of the very
best examples of Grüner Veltliner .
• Vineyards lie on steep terraced slopes along
the banks of the Danube.
• Meagre soil gives rise to steely minerality that
is characteristic of Grüner Veltliner (and
Riesling) from the Wachau district.
• Loess soils produce outstanding opulent
examples.

Wachau District
• 1st Wine producing district in Austria to
create own quality classification system.
• Supervised by Vinea Wachau
• 3 categories based on alcohol content

Steinfeder
• Steinfeder: named after stipa pennata,
which is a tall, feathery grass that grows in
the area.
• Lightest category of quality wine in the
Wachau.
• Almost exclusively drunk locally and when
young.
• Alcohol content minimum 11.5% and less
than 12.5%

Federspiel
• Federspiel: literally translates as “Spring
game”
• Refers to tradition of falconry in the area.
• Exported world wide
• Alcohol content minimum12.5% and below
13.5%

Smaragd
• Smaragd is the premier quality wine from
Wachau area
• Minimum alcohol content 13.5%
• Named after the emerald-green lizards
that are commonly found in the Wachau
vineyards

Summary
• Austria’s most widely grown grape variety
• One of the world’s great iconic wines
• Huge range in character
• Competes successfully against the very best
of other varietals
• DAC classification means you know what to
expect when purchasing
• Wonderful with just about any food

Permission to use
• I’m happy to let people use this
presentation if they contact me
first for permission. Please email
john@austrian-wines-direct.co.uk

References
1. Austrian Wine Marketing Board
2. Traisental Wien
Lots more information about Grüner Veltliner
and other indigenous Austrian wines at
www.austrian-wines-direct.co.uk/gruner-
veltliner

Grüner veltliner users guide

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