Gruener Veltliner - a little help, please...

Feb 26, 2008 9 Replies

So I have been intrigued, and bought myself my first Gruener Veltliner and tried it last night. I was seriously underwhelmed. This was Soellner GV Wogenrain 2006, biodynamic, stelvin cap, $15 USD. Beautiful boquet, a little spritzy, but thin and short on the mouth with a decided bitter aftertaste. Today the aftertaste has lightened up a little, but still rather thin and short.



Can any GV lovers out there point me to a generally available label (particularly in Oregon) which would be be a better choice to try out the variety? Was this typical?



Thanks, JB



I don't know what's available in Oregon specifically, but try an '06 from Schloss Gobelsburg or Domäne Wachau, both of which are pretty widely distibuted. Alternatively, look at any of Michael Pronay's recommended producers in the Google archives of this group or order from erstwhile afw poster Emily at

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I don't know Soellner at all, but it doesn't bode well that you found an '06 to be thin and short.

Mark Lipton

Not entirely erstwhile...just ridiculously busy! But I do check by every now and again (so, hello to all!)

Mark is right about the 2006 vintage. In general, you should be ending up with a big wine: "thin and short" doesn't fit the profile at all. Give GV another shot. Try one from the Wachau region and look for the word "Smaragd" in the name or on the label. It will practically guarantee some mighty wine in your glass, as well as show off what GV is all about.

Cheers, e.

"e. winemonger" wrote in news:089dfc6d-a86b- snipped-for-privacy@z17g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

Even my cheap Sepp 05 from Kremstal still showed all of what a GV should be and though it is not full or medium bodied and is however a bit thin and perhaps somewhat like your wine mine was ridiculously cheap (like 7US). GV is better than this.

Agreed, even super-cheap wines like Hofer and Huber aren't really thin (they are probably on short finish side, but at $9-10/liter ....... I'd agree with your suggestions, though as Emily says Smaragd would be almost ironclad guarantee against thinness, we're also probably into $30 range for known producers.

Of course, there's also the reality that not all of us like every grape!

Thanks, all - I wanted to give this a fair trial.

P.S. Smaragd sounds vaguely offensive.... :-)

It literally means "emerald," so find your offense where you may ;-)

Mark Lipton

And, to be precise, it's not the jewel/semi-precious stone that plays in here, but the Smaragdeidechse ("emerald lizard") who populates the dry, warm terraces of the Wachau region.

M.

Well, as I live and learn... :-)

and of course there's also Steinfeder and Federspiel...... ....but Austrian wine labels aren't confusing or anything.

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