Schloss Maissau

Wine Info

Region: Wienviertel, Neiderösterreich, Austria

Grapes: Grüner Veltliner 100%

ABV: 13%

Winemaker: Ewald Gruber

Viticulture: Organic

Winemaking: Natural yeast fermentation, ten hours skin contact, one year aging in stainless steel

“It’s like grating pepper onto a fresh cantaloupe”

If you haven’t had Grüner Veltliner before, I am so excited for this to be your first one. Imagine a clean white wine with the acidic verve of Riesling and the dry snap of Sauvignon Blanc. Then, instead of fruity, citrusy, floral notes, replace every flavor in the wine with the most earthy, vegetal flavors you can think of. That’s what Grüner Veltliner is all about.

This wine comes to us courtesy of a small importer called Bliss wine imports, run by our friend Andrey Ivanov, a Master Sommelier, party animal, and all around good dude.

When you drink this Grüner Veltliner, expect savory qualities. Rutabaga, white pepper, lentils, radish. This wine is a study in root vegetables. This wine has some fruit quality too—white peach, apricot and orange peel. That whisper of fruit lasts on your palate, but is then overcome by a strong sensation of arugula, ripe asparagus, and bitter herbs. It’s like grating pepper onto a fresh cantaloupe.

This wine just begs to be paired with bitter vegetables like artichoke and asparagus. The fact that this wine has eight years of bottle age just lends it more complexity and depth. It’s proof that white wine can age, especially one with this much concentration.