Gruner Veltliner Wine

Gruner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria, and by far the nation's most widely planted wine grape. As Austria battles its way back to stardom on the international wine market, crisp, spicy Gruner Veltliner has been its flagship wine. The finest expressions of Austrian Gruner come from vineyards above the Danube River, in Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. Classic Gruner Veltliner wines show citrus aromas (lemon peel and grapefruit) complemented by fresh vegetal notes and the variety's trademark hint of white pepper.

There are two key styles of Gruner Veltliner wine. The first – lighter, fresher and citrus-focused – is typical of Weinviertel. It is often bottled with a slight spritz, to lift the wine and emphasize its fresh, fruity notes. The second style – spicier, weightier and more complex – is embodied by the top wines from the warmer Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal regions. These wines are richly textured and well structured, and require several years in bottle before reaching developed maturity. With time they soften and take in honeyed, marmalade-like characteristics that match their attractive, deep golden hue.

Super-ripe Gruner Veltliner grapes<br>© Daniel Weber
Super-ripe Gruner Veltliner grapes
© Daniel Weber

The variety's name might be hard to pronounce for the uninitiated, but Austria's incisive marketeers have turned this to their advantage, dubbing the variety "Gru-Ve" and even "Groovy". Gruner means "green", which neatly reflects both the variety's yellow-green berries and the fresh green-pepper character that typifies Gruner Veltliner wine. Veltliner – a suffix shared by several European grape varieties (notably Roter Veltliner) – is a reference to the varieties' possible origins in Valtellina.

Gruner Veltliner is grown extensively in almost every Austrian wine region, but the late-ripening variety has not proved successful in cooler, wetter climes of neighboring Germany, or anywhere else in northern Europe. It is also widely cultivated in Slovenia and the Czech Republic, and to a lesser extent in northern Italy, New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

Gruner Veltliner wines pair well with a wide range of foods. Their naturally high acidity and full-bodied texture make them a versatile and exotic alternative to Chardonnay.

Synonyms include: Weissgipfler, Grunmuskateller, Veltlin, Veltlin Zelene, Veltlinske Zelene, Zeleni Veltlinec, Zoldveltelini, Zold Veltlini.

Food matches for Gruner Veltliner include:

  • Traditional Wiener schnitzel
  • Wasabi and tuna salad
  • Zucchini quiche

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Most Popular Gruner Veltliner Wine

Based on search frequency
Wine Name
Region
Popularity
Score
Avg Price
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Honivogl Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 3,475th 94 72
Weingut Fred Loimer Lois Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 4,707th 87 12
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, Austria Wachau 5,292nd 90 22
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 5,292nd 94 60
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Loibner Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau, Austria Wachau 5,508th 89 17
Weingut Erich & Maria Berger Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria Kremstal 5,941st 87 9
Weingut Markus Huber Obere Steigen Gruner Veltliner, Traisental, Austria Traisental 7,121st 89 10
Weingut Willi Brundlmayer Kamptaler Terrassen Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 8,086th 89 15
Weingut Prager Stockkultur Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 8,531st 94 37
Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsburger Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 8,598th 89 14
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Ried Loibenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 8,598th 92 29
Weingut Emmerich Knoll 'Vinothekfullung' Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 9,496th 93 44
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Heilegenstein Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 9,735th 90 20
Weingut Bernhard Ott 'Am Berg' Gruner Veltliner, Wagram, Austria Wagram 9,984th 89 12
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 10,389th 92 34
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 11,142nd 94 58
Schloss Gobelsburg Tradition Gruner Veltliner Reserve, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 11,702nd 92 30
Domane Wachau - Freie Weingartner 'Terrassen Gruner' Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau, Austria Wachau 12,703rd 88 10
Weingut Laurenz V. 'Laurenz und Sophie Singing' Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria Kremstal 13,250th 87 13
Weingut Nigl Kremser Freiheit Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria Kremstal 14,551st 89 15
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Loibner Schutt Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Wachau 14,708th 93 31
Weingut Bernhard Ott Fass 4 Gruner Veltliner, Wagram, Austria Wagram 15,056th 90 16
Franz Etz Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal 16,013rd 86 10
Weingut Hopler Gruner Veltliner, Burgenland, Austria Burgenland 16,217th 87 13
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Ried Kreutles Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau, Austria Wachau 16,217th 90 16
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To see how Wine-Searcher uses average pricing and professional wine critic scores on this page, please see Average Wine Prices and Wine Scores. To find out about popularity, please see Wine Ranks.
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