Germany beats Austria with Grüner Veltliner

During this tasting, the focus was on the variety of sorts of Grüner Veltliner; so, nine wines from Austria, eight from New Zealand, four from the USA, three from each Germany, Slovakia and Australia, two from Hungary, one from each Italy and Argentina were competing. Five more untypical Grüne Veltliners were lined up, too. The organizers were “Grüner Veltliner specialists” Laurenz Maria Moser and Dieter Hübler, his associate.

The jury consisted of wine authors, wine professionals and producers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Besides the winner from Germany, a Grüner Veltliner from Markus Huber achieved the second rank, and a Grüner Veltliner from the Ebner-Ebenauer wine estate achieved the third rank, both being from Austria. A Grüner Veltliner from the USA achieved as much as the fifth rank, and a New Zealander conquered the seventh rank.

“The winners are very nice wines. The have a wonderful balance between residual sugar and acidity, which underlines their perfect harmony”, Laurenz Maria Moser comments the result. “We are happy to have launched this initiative with the Laurenz V. Our intention is to experience and compare the different styles of Grüner Veltliner that are meanwhile being produced all over the world. This way, we can make the development of Grüner Veltliner measurable and broaden the horizon for Austrian Grüner Veltliner.”

Further Grüner Veltliner tastings are planned for this year in London, Berlin, and the USA – probably in San Francisco. Dubai, Hong Kong and other stations in Asia are to follow next year.

And here are the top 12 of the comparative tasting:

• 1: Weingut Weegmüller "Vom Balkon der Pfalz 2011" (GER)
• 2: Markus Huber Berge Erste Lage DAC 2010 (AUT)
• 3: Weingut Ebner-Ebenauer Alte Reben 2011 (AUT)
• 4: Laurenz V Silver Bullet 2011 (AUT)
• 5: Zocker 2010 (US)
• 6: Bott Frigyes 2011 (SK)
• Jt 7: Weingut Peter Schweiger Heiligenstein 2011 (AUT)
• Jt 7: Saint Clair Premium 2011 (NZ)
• Jt 7: Lark Hill 2011 (AUS)
• 10: Loos Weine und Walter Buchegger Loos 2011 (AUT)
• 11: Karpatska Perla 2011 (SK)
• 12: Kosik 2011 (CZ)

GRÜNER VELTLINER (GV) - Grüner Veltliner is a natural crossing between Traminer and St. Georgen. Even after genetic examinations, the latter sort of grape – called after the place where it was found in Burgenland – cannot be associated with any other known sort of grape.

In Austria, Grüner Veltliner is the most important sort of grape. As late as in the 1950ies, it was being cultivated above all in Lower Austria and in the Burgenland. In the first decade of the 21st century, the area where Grüner Veltliner is being cultivated increased by 22 percent. Today, it is by far our neighbours’ most important white sort of grape.

This fertile sort of grape needs a yield regulation. It develops especially well on deep loess soil. Drought means stress to the Grüner Veltliner, and it is as well sensible during flowering, and it is susceptible for peronospora or pseudopezicula tracheiphila and tends to catch chlorosis. The sort of grape yields light wines with accentuated acidity but also highly ripe predicate wines of all quality levels. The vineyard and the amount of yield are very decisive for quality. Classical Grüner Veltliners are spicy with a pepper note and have stone fruit aromas. (red.yoopress)