A very happy second week of January to you all.

Simon's Wine of the Week is Domane Wachau MK Grüner Veltliner

My first ever Wine of the Week was a Grüner Veltliner from Hungary; I’m a big fan of the grape. This time we’re going back to the grape’s heartland in Austria. Like Malbec to Argentina, or Gamay to Beaujolais, Austria is synonymous with Gruner (we’ll drop the umlaut, and the Veltliner; in polite conversation most people do – just make sure you don’t call it Groovey. Some people do. Don’t be one of those people.). It’s so widely grown that it accounts for one in three vines. In the Northeast of the country, it rises to one in two. The Austrian’s love their Gruner.

Gruner Veltliner literally means ‘Green Wine of Veltlin’ which refers to a town in Northern Italy where the grape may have originated. It’s a grape that wasn’t very well known outside of Austria until the mid-1990s, then it suddenly exploded onto the wine scene. These days no decent restaurant or gastropub can have a wine list without one. There is something about the quality and charm of a good Gruner that makes it super food friendly.

.

Domane Wachau is based (as you may have guessed) in the Wachau Valley overlooking the Danube. This region of steep, terraced vineyards, rare flora and fauna, and a long cultural history has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site. Working with local grape growers they are recognised as one of the top estates in Austria.

Their MK Gruner is a beautifully crisp yet complex wine, and a great introduction to why you should get into this grape. Pale lemon in colour, the nose is lovely and fleshy, with peach and lemon notes and a touch of creaminess in the background. The palate is delightfully crisp with green apple notes, classic Gruner white pepper and a touch of peach. The finish  is long and fine.

Food wise then the world is your oyster. Gruner is amazingly food-friendly and pairs with a huge range of cuisines. It goes amazingly well with lots of Asian food, from Vietnamese to Thai to Chinese. It’s great with pretty much any seafood, fresh cheeses, and is particularly good with asparagus. Finally, if you’re feeling the Austrian vibe then it matches rather nicely with a decent Schnitzel. If you’re a restaurant or gastropub and you haven’t got a Gruner on your list, then you are missing out. It’s a superb wine that demands more fame and attention.

Have a great week,

Simon