Hermann Moser Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner
The grüner veltliner wines are sometimes hard to find, but they are really fun wines, so try one if you see it. These wines are finding their way onto restaurant lists, especially during the Spring and Summer months, because they are very food friendly. This white varietal is found primarily in Austria, but it is also found in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Northeast Italy, and the US (Eastern US, Oregon).
There are many different styles of grüner veltliner wines, from simple to age-worthy (wines that are aged in oak barrels, much like chardonnay). We like to spicy and mineral notes of these wines, and they often have nice aromas and flavors of honey and citrus.
Our all-time favorite, based on flavor and price, is Hermann Moser Grüner Veltliner (about $15 from Austria). This is a very lush white, with plenty of dried apricot overtones moving to fresh-cut apple and pear flavors, followed by mineral notes on the juicy finish. We’ve used this wine with salads, fish, and chicken, but will stand up to some spicy foods, such as Chinese and Indian food.
Other wines to look for are Pichler-Krutzler (about $25 from Austria), F.X. Pichler (about $40 from Austria), Abbazia di Novacella (about $20 from Alto Aldige, Italy), and Dr. Konstantin Frank (about $15 from the Finger Lakes, NY).
