Weekly Wine Series - Grüner Veltliner

Gruner Veltliner Wine Recommendations and Food Pairings

This week’s Weekly Wine Series is featuring a grape that many people may not have heard of before: Grüner Veltliner. The reason many people have not heard of it is because over 75% of this grape varietal comes from Austria. You don’t typically see American producers making a Grüner Veltliner, but you can find it if you look hard enough.

If you like dry white wines like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, you might enjoy Grüner Veltliner. It’s an amazing wine with high acidity, and it pairs with almost any type of food. This would be a great wine to order at a restaurant if they have it by the glass.

In this post you’ll find a brief overview of Grüner Veltliner, food pairing recommendations and bottle recommendations at every price point. I’d encourage you to pick up a bottle of Grüner the next time you’re out shopping for a new wine. Cheers!

Overview

Facts

Grüner Veltliner is a white wine native to Austria. Over 75% of Grüner comes from Austria. It can be made in a variety of styles, but it is typically dry.
Grüner Veltliner is known for its high acidity, making it a food friendly wine.
Common characteristics of Grüner include apple, pear, white pepper, lemon and lime.
The name, Grüner Veltliner, literally translates to “Green Wine of Veltin.” Veltin was an area in the lower Alps during the 1600’s that is now part of Valtellina, Italy.
Beyond Austria, you will also find Grüner grown in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. There is even a little bit of Grüner planted in California!

Food Pairings

Grüner Veltliner is a great wine to pair with a wide variety of foods due to its high acidity. It pairs well with fish, poultry and several different of cheeses. Here are some recommendations for food pairings: