Affordable, Organically Grown, Perfect for Summer: Racy Grüner Veltliner from Austria
Austria is dominated by old wineries with long lineages, yet they’re also at the forefront of both organic and biodynamic faming. Grüner Veltliner is the most recognizable grape variety grown in Austria, and it recently has gone through a revolution—almost all of the Grüner Veltliner producers we carry are at the very least growing organically and many are employing biodynamic growing practices. In addition to the best-possible growing practices, these century-old wineries have managed to integrate New-World technological advances with Old-World winemaking techniques like basket-press and concrete or stainless-steel tanks. These are fantastic wines with little or no oak usage, especially on the entry-level offerings.
The Grüner Veltliner grape has much in common with Albariño in that it creates herbal, peppery, oily-textured wine that has pithy, orchard fruit notes with hints of spice. Grüners are incredibly versatile wines that match almost any cuisine that calls for a white wine. Grüner Veltliner generally has more weight than most aromatic whites while it’s not as heavy as a Chardonnay. We have tons of great values in Grüner Veltliner in stock to help you get better acquainted to this alternative to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.
A stunning value right out of the gate is the 2023 Schloss Gobelsburg "Schlosskellerei" Grüner Veltliner Kamptal $17.99 sourced from top Grüner Veltliner vineyards such as Heiligenstein, Grubb, Lamm, and Renner. The “Schlosskellerei” has great body and structure with pepper notes and white orchard fruits. It has a succulent texture, excellent body and a nice, long finish. At $18 bucks, this is a great value and a great way to introduce yourself to Grüner Veltliner.
Likewise, coming in at under $20, the 2023 Nigl "Freiheit" Grüner Veltliner Kremstal Niederösterreich $19.99 is totally flush with fruit. There is great complexity here but the layers of fruit that cascade over the palate make this a user-friendly, easy-drinking Grüner Veltliner that is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
As we broach the $20 mark the 2022 Hirsch "Hirschvergnugen" Grüner Veltliner Kamptal $21.99 feels more Old World in style with notes of pepper and celery stalk that give way to a mineral-driven, crystalline palate. This wine is all about racy acidity, freshness, wet stone with subtle hints of citrus sprinkled throughout this racy ride.
The 2022 Bründlmayer "Kamptaler Terrassen" Grüner Veltliner Kamptal $24.99 92JS 92Fallstaff is perhaps the quintessential Grüner Veltliner in terms of style. It shows excellent ripe fruit notes and pepper with incredible freshness and vibrancy. Bründlmayer is one of the most important producers in all of Austria and not only a bellwether for the wine industry, they are a partner in training many of the next generation of winemakers.
Arguably the first adopter of biodynamic farming principals in 1971, Nikolaihof winery produces an excellent entry-level Grüner Veltliner in the 2022 Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Grüner Veltliner Wachau $27.99 90JS. This is an understated Grüner with tons of citrus notes and subtle pepper and basil leaf notes.
We finish our amazing journey through affordable and delicious Grüner Veltliners with the 2022 Bernhard Ott "Fass 4" Grüner Veltliner Wagram $32.99 91WE 90WA 90WS, which is loaded with sweet orchard fruits slanting towards apples and pear with hints of kiwi and lime. A supple mouthfeel with excellent length and body, this is a great introduction to Bernhard Ott and his wonderful Grüner Veltliners.
This is an amazing 6-pack of Austria Grüner Veltliner values for you to taste through and learn about the heights Grüner Veltliner can reach at great price points.