GROONER Gruner Veltliner 2008
“Not only is Grooner one of the best attempts at wine branding I’ve seen, it’s also a great wine value. It’s instantly enjoyable and unmistakably grüner, with signature notes of herbs, white pepper and minerals that punctuate a green apple core, along with a touch of pineapple. There’s good balance and a long finish. Alcohol is a modest 12 percent.
This is an excellent wine for food, especially spicy or strongly flavored foods. We enjoyed it with fish — sole fillets roasted with a simple coating of coarse Dijon mustard and vermouth, accompanied by asparagus sautéed in olive oil with chopped garlic.
At the $10 level, you’re often in for big-production, generic wines with little individuality. The Grooner, on the other hand, is estate bottled by one of Monika Caha’s producers, Meinhard Forstreiter in the Niederösterreich region (Lower Austria). It’s imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, New York.
This is one that I’ll be drinking often with everyday meals, taking to parties and enjoying right into the summer months. Grooner, along with an exciting red that I reviewed recently, will give you a perfect introduction to Austrian wines.”
–Edward Deitch
