Grüner veltliner

The wine that Austria gave the world, a dry white that packs a high acidity fruit punch, is at ease with both schnitzel and scallop

The Grape

The name, curiously, translates as ‘green wine/grape of Veltlin’, a village in Italy, although no link has ever been proven. Indeed, this hardy grape is thought to be indigenous to Austria, where it’s grown countrywide, with the best coming from the north-east, especially along the terraced banks of the Danube. It’s thought to date back to Roman times, but grew to prominence in the 1950s.

The Taste

It’s a dry, elegant wine, but it has a touch of peach sweetness as well as a smack of acidity from lemon, lime and grapefruit. There’s a white pepperiness to spice things up a little, and a certain gooseberry grassiness along with an apple tang and a floral hit on the nose.

The Pairings

Classically, the acidity means it works perfectly with national dish wiener schnitzel, which also makes it a natural companion to many other rich, carb-heavy foods, including some Asian noodle-based dishes. It can also be extremely good paired with seafood – the spice and subtle stone fruit go particularly well with squid, octopus and cuttlefish.

The Vines

It might be dominant in Austria, home to three-quarters of the world’s grüner vines, but the grape also has a serious foothold in Czech Republic and Hungary. Due to its growing popularity, it has also been planted in the US (Oregon and California, for example), Australia (Barossa), New Zealand (Otago) Canada.

The Bottles

Ben Robinson, head sommelier of Lancashire’s two-Michelin-starred Moor Hall, selects four of his favourite grüner veltliners (right).