WeeklyWinePick.com » Austria

Laurenz V Gruner Veltliner – Charming and Singing

Derek Swanson — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 02:40:46 +0000

Summer vacation come and gone. With the heat wave that embraced us for the past month, I felt confident our readers would find something cool and refreshing during our writing hiatus. I had the opportunity to share two white wines received as samples from Folio Wine Partners. The wines were Austrian Gruner Veltliners made by Laurenz Maria Moser V, a descendant of a family with deep roots in Austrian winemaking. The Singing and Charming Gruner Veltliners are two examples of the five styles Laurenz crafts from the Kremstal region. The 2009 Singing was young and lively with notes of grapefruit and apple; a very nice wine for about $15. The 2006 Charming was spicy and viscous with lots of peach flavor. It was noticeably richer with more weight, despite slight effervescence which may have been caused by UPS (what can Brown do for you?). The Charming retails for about $27. Asian food on the menu? Both these wines are great pairs for dishes such as Pad Thai and stir-fries.

Master Sommelier Alan Murray: 2008 Loimer Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal DAC, Austria

Derek Swanson — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:40:18 +0000

This week’s pick comes from Master Sommelier Alan Murray of Masa’s Restaurant in San Francisco. “Gruner Veltliner is the most widely planted varietal in Austria, reminding me of both sauvignon blanc and Riesling, but without the strong personality of either of those varietals. The Loimer from Kamptal, Austria, is a great refreshing wine that pairs well with spring dishes.” DAC stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus, in this case referring to the grape growing region of the Kamptal.

Adjacent to Executive Hotel Vintage Court on the border of San Francisco’s Union Square and Nob Hill, Masa’s Restaurant offers superlative fine dining service and exquisite California French cuisine elevated to new heights by Executive Chef Gregory Short. Chef Short and Alan Murray delight in presenting nightly five- and nine-course degustation fine dining menus highlighting the best of the season and region, the restaurant’s 800-strong wine list and otherworldly cocktails at the exclusive bar.

Alan also thought it was worth mentioning another wine he is extremely fond of: Parr Selections Syrah “Purisima Mountain” Santa Ynez Valley. ”It is an example of ripe but low alcohol winemaking that showcases great fruit that can speak for itself. Very easy to drink.” This limited production wine is part of a label founded by Rajat Parr, currently the star sommelier at Michael Mina’s RN74.

2008 Berger Gruner Veltliner, Austria

Derek Swanson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:32:09 +0000

This week’s pick comes from Inez Ribustello of On The Square in Tarboro, NC. Inez was recently honored in the American Sommelier Association’s Best Sommelier in America competition. ”Right now, I’m super hot on Berger Gruner Veltliner from Niederösterreich, Austria. It comes in a liter bottle and has a pop top cap that is perfect for a quick opening. Flavors of pink grapefruit, sweet pea and wet stones; it is crisp, refreshing and perfect for summer salads that combine fresh tomatoes, sweet corn and champagne vinaigrette,” said Inez. This Austrian white is widely available for less than $14.

Inez and her husband Stephen have been infusing New York flair into southern dishes at On The Square since 2002. Inez described herself as a wine “bargain hunter” in a recent Wine Spectator article. There are plenty of bargains on her wine list, which recently garnered Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence; bottles on their list are marked up only$5 over retail.

Use Wine-Seracher to find this wine at a retailer near you.

2008 Nigl Freiheit Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria

Derek Swanson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:24:22 +0000

This week’s pick comes from Sommelier David Speer of Red Slate Wine Co. in Portland, Oregon. David offered the following comments on this invigorating white from Austria: “Nigl is one of the premier Austrian producers. The nose was fantastic showing floral tones, grapefruit, minerals, and melon. The palate was crisp and minerally, yet full and rich at the same time. The flavors matched the nose with melon, floral grapefruit notes. Fantastic wine for hot summer days.” Bottles retail for around $20 at many of the retailers listed on Wine-Searcher. Try it with this recipe for Saibling.

Red Slate Wine Company is Portland’s top spot for wine. The selection changes constantly, and David hosts tasting events that feature the best from around the corner (Willamette Valley) and around the world. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, David’s personal sommelier service is your connection to the inside track on the world’s best wines.