The "Groovy" Wine Club

This past Thursday was the fifth meeting of wine club and this time the grape of choice was Austria's national grape - Grüner Veltliner (pronounced - groo-nur felt-leen-er). It is also called "Groovy" probably because you have to be half in the bag to say Grüner Veltliner.

Here are the two wines we tried (the first one being the bottle everyone took home with them)

“FEDERSPIEL” GRÜNER VELTLINER by DOMAINE WACHAU

LCBO Information

Stock Number – 47902
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 16.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
Made in: Austria, Austria
By: Freie Weingartner Wachau
Release Date: Sep 1, 2007

Description: Under Austrian rules, a wine labelled Federspiel must have an alcohol content between 11 and 12.5% by volume and the grapes cannot be chaptalized (that is, sweetened with sugar so the finished wine has a higher alcohol content and fuller mouth-feel). This version is classic Grüner with aromas of pear, citrus and pepper. It is fairly full-bodied with a good balance between the fruit, pepper and citrus. Enjoy with grilled duck breast or even lobster or sushi.

Wine Spectator – 2005 rated 89, 2006 Not yet rated. This is filled with loads of mineral and grapefruit flavors and some creamy notes. The finish is savory, with touches of celery and parsnip. Drink now through 2009. 1,216 cases made. –KM

“SANDGRUBE” GRÜNER VELTLINER by STADT KREMS

LCBO Information

Stock Number – 687913

Volume - 750mL

Price: $ 14.95 (+ $.20 deposit)

Made in: Austria, Austria

By: Lamotrading Laurenz Moser Keg

Release Date: Jul 21, 2007

Description: The Sandgrube vineyard is planted entirely to Grüner Veltliner and benefits from southern exposure and a sandy loess soil. The 2006 is a fresh medium-bodied wine with flavours of citrus and white pepper. A perfect pairing for Austrian food like pork schnitzel, it also works very well with Asian dishes and sushi.

Wine Spectator – 2005 Rated 86, 2006 Not yet rated. This is filled with ripe peach and ripe apple flavors, which are flanked by savory spice and mineral notes. The finish is broad and smoky. Drink now. 2,525 cases made. –KM

I was caught off-guard by the enclosure on the Stadt Krems, once I took of the covering and the metal cap this is what I was greeted by -

I looked at it puzzled for a second and then tried pulling on the clear glass part and tada -

- a Glass cork. The glass has rubber around the top of it to keep the seal. I had never seen this before and neither had anyone else at Wine Club. Once I got over my shock and confusion, I thought this type of enclosure was pretty cool.

The food for the day was a Gorgonzola Dip with crackers that I'd prepared. Tracey (a co-worker) brought in Prosciutto, Cream Cheese and fresh Baguettes.

This was my first exposure to Grüner Veltliner. I had done some reading before hand and they tended to be compared to Rieslings. On the initial tasting of the Domaine Wachau, it reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc. The Stadt Krems did remind me of a Riesling. Both though were easy drinking and I could easily see someone sitting outside at a cafe, snacking and killing a bottle with no problem at all.

I enjoyed both of the wines with the food. Grüner Veltliner has a reputation of being a very food friendly wine and after our tasting I can see why.

At $17 and $15 price points these wines are a great deal for the money. I will be on the lookout in the future for more "Groovy" wines as both of these were very good.

Cheers!

Mark.