Matthew McFetridge

Considering Barolo is considered Italy’s greatest wine, the pressure to produce stunning versions of this wine is understandably high. Barolo, is a wine made from Nebbiolo grapes and is known for its light color and grippy tannins. In more recent times, modern styles have become more popular – and there has been a “war” concerning the new modern approach and styles of making the wine compared to old-school styles. Although classical styles will always have their place, there are a number of winemakers currently doing extraordinary things with modern approaches to the varietal.

Enrico Rivetto

Enrico Rivetto has followed four generations of winemakers in his family – each producing reputable wines. Throughout the generation, certain practices and traditions have been instilled that has Enrico truly gained respect for the land and winemaking art. His theories are based on producing wines that are biodynamic and uses alternative energy and green practices during production. With most of the Barolo produced here, harvesting is left as late as possible to ensure complete ripeness of all the grapes. Apart from the all-natural approach, there are other unique aspects to his wines:  Enrico allows his wines to go through spontaneous fermentation, as well as leaving the seeds intact during the fermentation for added tannins. Enrico is also constantly dabbling in innovative ideas – like fermenting his wine in concrete tanks or open wooden vats. These different methods have allowed his Barolo to truly shine internationally for its uniqueness and quality.

Roberto Voerzio

In the Piedmont region of Italy, Roberto is one of the most celebrated wine producers in the region. The practices in producing the Barolo from this winemaker also incorporate natural practices. No clarification is used during production; therefore, the wines are encouraged to be kept for five to six years (although it can age splendidly for up to 20 years.) Robert is famous for his dedication to modern twists on winemaking – producing Barolo that is rich with softer tannins than usual. His belief in keeping true to the natural state of the wines means that there are no alternations done to the wine. His absolute passion and respect for the wine have been part of the reason his name (and his Barolo) is on everyone’s lips.

Elio Altare

In Piedmont, Elio Altare’s Barolo is known for its richness; bringing to life modern winemaking ideas in an old-world region. Traditional methods of ageing Barolo here often include prolonged time in huge Slovenian oak caskets. Elio, on the other hand, ferments his wine briefly in steel tanks before ageing it smaller French barrels. The great thing about the wines produced here, is that Elio and his family are directly involved in all aspects from pruning, harvesting, blending and bottling. They also believe in 100% natural and biodynamic practices – which even go as far as avoiding clarification and filtration of the wine. Their intense dedication to producing wines that are sustainable, healthy and delicious is what has made their wine, especially their Barolo, stand out.

Barolo has so many tremendous producers and sometimes it is hard to stick out of the pack. The region always evolving, there are so many exceptional producers but these are just some great producers to look out for.

Blue Vein cheese is a general term used to describe cheese matured after intentional inoculation with cultures of Penicillium mold. A PDO (and IGT) designated products are a protected Geographical location which only allows the cheese to carry its name if it is made in compliance of strict production measures for that region based on EU laws.

A common romantic tale of how these cheeses came to be follows the tory that once, a young cheese maker, snacking on a lunch of ewe’s milk cheese and bread abandoned his meal to chase after a beautiful girl. He would come back days later to discover blue mold growing on the cheese and blue cheese was invented. There are a few variations to this story, but that is how the locals claim to have discovered the French favorite; Roquefort. A king among Blue Vein PDO cheese.

Blue Cheeses have been firm favorites for many. Oddly, despite their salty nature, they work wonderfully well as dessert courses paired with a glass of Port or sweet Sherry. Their sharp particular flavor, something of an acquired taste, is irreplaceable in any food.

The cheese can be produced with cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or goat’s milk. Stainless steel rods poke through the cheese to let oxygen in and encourage the mold to grow into delicate blue veins. Ageing varies depending on the style of cheese and can go anywhere from four weeks to four months.

Protected Cheeses.

Over the years, their rising popularity among households and swanky gastronome events has birthed a thriving market. One whose industry is worth an approximate eye popping $120 billion annually. Able and ambitious cheesemakers worldwide would be absurd not to jump at opportunities like that. Then come the imitations and the hit-and-miss producers.

With the reputations of these delicacies at risk, the European Union moved to protect the integrity and unique craftmanship of regional foods. A Geographical Indication System was introduced that provided for Protected Designations of Origin. Within this law is everything from beer to bread. They ensure that unique foods made in certain regions under strict local regulation are allowed to assume the regional name.

The 1951 Stresa Convention brought into act in 1992, particularly caters to the protection of cheese. It classifies them into two; Annex A and Annex B. Where Annex A is a significant, high-level protection go to four designations considered to be Appaletions d’Origne; some examples are Parmegiano Regianno, Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Pecorino Romano. Annex B Cheeses do not enjoy the same extensive protection but are designated to signatory states as long as they comply with production specifications. Some B cheeses are Camembert, Danablu, Emmental, etc.

Under these protections, local farmers can focus on producing exceptional quality and extensive attention to detail with surety of competitive pricing in global markets.

Make no mistake; protected Cheeses command premium prices not from riding the coattails of the PDO name but from age old production techniques, premium conditions of feed and milk, not to mention ageing considerations. All these production steps require expert attention to detail. At the end of which, the resulting cheese is put through rigorous quality checks and controls before being allowed onto shelves.

Here are some blue vein cheeses in order of style that are worth exploring and getting to know;

Creamy blue veined cheese;

Ädelost; A noble blue Swedish cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It has a moldy rind with a 50% fat content after two to three months of ripening. Ordinarily used as table cheese, Ädelost is creamy with a sharp salty flavor.

Semi-soft blue creamy cheese;

Blu del Moncenisio is an un-pressed cow’s milk cheese borne of the Turin Province. Four months of ageing leaves it with a high moisture content yet soft and fragrant with an intense palate of fresh grass and forest.

Soft Blue Veined Cheese;

Bleu Bénédictin; (Semi-soft) First made by Benedictine Abby monks of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Quebec. This whole milk Canadian blue cheese is a special treat of earthy mushroom flavors, a creamy center and delicately salted although obviously it does not carry the EU PDO protected designation.

Semi-hard semi fat;

Roquefort; The French king of blue cheeses one may argue is a sheep’s milk cheese from the south of France. Under the EU Law, only cheeses aged in the Combalou natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon are named Roquefort. The cheese has a particular sharp taste reminiscent of butyric acid with the sharp zing from the salty blue veins. It has no rind and the slightly moist, crumbly white resulting cheese demands about 4.5 liters of milk to produce.

Hard

Dorset Blue Vinney; This English cheese is made from skimmed cow’s milk near Sturminster Newton in Dorset. A hard, crumbly cheese first made as a byproduct of the popular Dorset butter. Dorset butter was highly regarded and sold well in London. However, after production, farmers had large quantities of skimmed milk that would go to waste. As a controlling measure, they resolved to produce cheese from the skimmed milk.

These are a very small cross section of the blue cheese family and one should note that there are endless more just as famous be it under the EU and PDO protection as well as others from outside of the EU. One should seek them out as they are great food companions with most proteins as well.

Perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of tasting a Bordeaux wine, but have you tried Bordeaux Superieur? As the name suggests, it’s a better, or shall we say more superior, version of the revered wines.

With this distinction on the label, it must meet certain high-quality standards that are set on an echelon above regular Bordeaux. That distinguished etching on the label of the wine you’re holding promises a better quality wine from the Bordeaux appellations. To be given this distinction, winemakers must age the wine in oak barrels for at least 12 months.

Other requirements include that the wines must have higher sugar levels than that of lesser quality wines. They must also come from vineyards that produce lower yields than that of generic Bordeaux AOC offerings. Another reason to go with Bordeaux Superieur is that it contains a naturally higher alcohol content. Regular Bordeaux must contain a minimum of 9.5% alcohol by volume while the Superieur version must have a minimum of 10% alcohol. Most of the Bordeaux Superieur wines you’ll find are all bottled on the estate, something that is not required for basic Bordeaux.

Due to the extensive size of the lands used to create Bordeaux Superieur wines, the soil quality can vary. The terroirs are most unique for this classification and the wines can be vastly different depending on the gravel, limestone, sand, clay, or any of these combined together.

Generally, only red wines get the notable Bordeaux Superieur label, however there are some white wines that can also earn this distinction. White Bordeaux Superieur wines are produced with Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, and Semillon.

There are many incredibly delightful Bordeaux Superieur wines to choose from that come at a great value. That’s because of the demand that has risen up from the millennials. Wine is being consumed with much more passion than ever before, and winemakers know that keeping prices on some of these offerings competitive results in more sales as well as creates loyal consumers who will purchase more high-end bottles from their vineyards too at some point.

Many of today’s wine drinkers aren’t put off by spending around $25 per bottle, and at that value, or even less, you can find a bottle of Bordeaux Superieur to enjoy with your dinner tonight. To find the best Bordeaux Superieur wines, read the fine print on the labeling. It should mention the winemaker’s name, showing the pride they take in their creation. Additionally, it can show you where the wine is from, and that could be the key to its lower price without compromise on taste. Some recommendations:

Plaisance Bordeaux Superieur

Comprised of 70% Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot rounding the rest out at 20% and 10%, respectively, this deeply purple-hued offering is elegant, ideal for serving with your best beef dishes. It’s best to decant it properly for an hour or so to get the full spectrum of its delightful flavors and aromas.

Chateau De Parenchere Bordeaux Superieur

A balanced and firm wine with rich berry flavors with a touch of smokiness, it is a wine that gets even better with age.

Chateau Saint-Michel Bordeaux Superieur

Cherries and spices add a fresh and beautiful aroma though the flavor of tobacco in this medium-bodied adds a notable spice. The texture is silky through the finish. It’s another elegant choice that begs to be served with outstanding cuisine.

If you are looking to start learning and drinking Bordeaux without breaking the bank, Bordeaux Superieur designated wines are the ideal lace to start and along with these mentioned producers there are many more that will give you tremendous quality to price ratio value. Try enjoying some Bordeaux today.

Almost 90% of America’s wines are produced in California – so it is no wonder that some of the best wines and producers are in this area. Zinfandel, which is considered America’s heritage grape, thrives in this region and the winemakers here are doing some spectacular things with the varietal. Although there are too many quality Zinfandel producers to list, there are three worth mentioning that are currently nailing the varietal right on the head.

Chaim Gur-Arieh

The practices that the winemaker, Chaim uses are intuitive, unique and considerate toward the grape – which is what makes his Zinfandel’s so interesting.  Chaim believes in being extremely gentle and considerate throughout the harvest and production of the wine. His practices include allowing the wine to fully ripen, handling the grapes extremely gently, building the winery on two plateaus to allow gravity to intervene in the wine production and using oak scarcely to avoid overpowering the wine’s natural flavors. These fine, detailed practices already set his wine apart, but he took it a step further. Chaim invented a modern Cap Fermentation Tank that allows the caps to be submerged throughout the entire period of fermentation. The invention was groundbreaking. This addition has ensured that the resulting wine is soft, elegant, complex and has powerful layers of fruit flavors. The Zinfandels produced are known for their rare qualities and complete hand-crafted stamp.

Robert Henson

Zinfandel’s prime characteristic is that the varietal portrays its terroir more than most other grape varietals. Each region’s Zinfandel displays unique characteristics, true to that region. Robert Henson knows that  – and fully grasps that aspect of the varietal to produce some of California’s top Zinfandels. Robert Henson’s Zinfandels are known for their intense jammy characteristics, largely because of the estate’s location and the practices in place that preserve the terroir qualities in the wine.  With that as the basis of their production, Robert Henson also focuses intensely on ensuring immaculate balance in each bottle of wine – with no singular sugar, tannin, acidity or alcohol aspect overpowering any of the other elements. With the focus completely on terroir-driven, perfectly balanced Zinfandel, the quality of the wine has ensured that this winery was placed on the top 100 Wines of the world list by Spectator Magazine on several occasions.

Scott Harvey

Scott Harvey has managed to produce some outstanding Zinfandels in California. These wines’ success is attributable to the decades of experience that Scott Harvey has in the industry, as well as the age of the Zinfandel vines on his estate. His Zinfandel vines are the oldest documented Zinfandel vines in America and almost 150 years old. These old vines manage to deliver flavor, complexity, and quality like no other. With experience and good vines in his grasp, Scott Harvey kept to traditions and makes his wine in old-school Californian styles. He believes in adding acidity if needed or lowering the alcohol if necessary – whatever has to be done to ensure the wine is of the highest quality.  In fact, his wines have gained countless awards annually and have allowed him to be on the Top 10 Winemakers of America’s list by Dan Berger.

California has managed to hold a number of truly spectacular Zinfandel producers, with each producer portraying unique styles, methods and practices. Scott Harvey, Chaim Gur-Arieh and Robert Henson are only a handful of the many winemakers currently doing great things for Zinfandel in this region.

Definition

The French paradox is the manifestation of low coronary heart disease (CHD) death rates in spite of high intake of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. A French epidemiologist in the 1980’s formulated the French paradox concept in that period. France is really a country with low CHD incidence and mortality. The average energy supplied by fat was 36% in Toulouse and 38% in Belfast within 1985–86. In recent times, 1995–97, the percentage of energy from fat was 39% in Toulouse according to a representative population assessment.

The French paradox refers to the seeming contradiction revealed in regions of France where, in spite of high ingestion of dairy fat, the people acquired low occurrences of cardiovascular disease. From the onset, it was supposed that the alcohol in the wine was the factor that causes the reduction of the risk. Later, it was discovered that the paradox is only partially explained by the ability of alcohol to enhance HDL or “good” cholesterol.

Recently the research has concentrated on the capacity of the flavonoids in wine to play an active role in causing a reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease. The inclusion of the grape skins in the fermenting process is caused by enormously high level of polyphenols in red wine, which is about twenty to fifty times more than white wines. The polyphenols in grape skins are well known to avert the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a serious event in the process of the development of coronary artery disease. There is research carried out on blueberry which proves that what is good for your heart is good for your brain. Researchers have also discovered a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration with the consumption of restricted amounts of red wine.

WHAT IS THE FRENCH DIET?

The French diet concisely can be explained as eating small portions of high-quality foods less often. Foods that are a fastening of the French diet consist of full-fat cheese and yogurt, butter, bread, vegetable and fresh fruits, little portions of meat more frequently fish or chicken than red meat, dark chocolate, and wine.

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT THE FRENCH PARADOX DIET WORKS FOR THE FRENCH PEOPLE?

France has an astonishingly low obesity rate in spite of regularly eating rich foods like cheeses pastries and cream sauces, and this has typically to do with their eating style. Not like North Americans who tend to often eat vast amounts of processed foods, the French tend to eat leisurely, almost like a grazing animal. Moreover, because conversation and wine play important roles in their social ritual, having a small amount of red wine really helps digestion by slowing things down.

SATURATED FAT AND THE FRENCH PARADOX

In correspondence studies, measures that signify characteristics of an entire population: consumption of daily milk, animal fat and alcohol are exploited to explain disease (CHD mortality). Restrictions of correspondence studies are the failure to link exposure with disease in particular individuals, the inability to manage the effects of possible confounding factors, and the utilization of average exposure levels in lieu of actual individual values. France has the lowest rate of heart disease deaths in all of Europe despite consuming the most saturated fat.

WINE AND THE FRENCH PARADOX

Some authors have written numerous hypotheses in order to explain this, even if causality is not part of the French paradox. Debates have paid attention to alcohol consumption and, more purposely, on red wine. Study that consumption of red wine moderately on a regular basis maybe preventative against coronary disease is current. A scientist working at the Bordeaux University in France, stated that recommending red wine consumption in moderation explained the “French Paradox”, the low rate of heart attacks in France in spite of a significant dietary intake of saturated fats and alcohol.

The BEAUTY OF THE PARADOX AND SOME FOOD PAIRINGS

• Burgundy wine
• Provence wine
• Brittany wine
• The pairing of wine and food.

WHY IS WINE PAIRED WITH DISHES IN FRANCE

Tannins act in response with proteins. When matching with dishes that are high in proteins and fats such as hard cheeses and red meat, the tannins will bind with the protein and the bitterness of tannins make the wine feel in harmony.

THE PAIRING OF FOOD AND WINE

There is no other culture that has mastered the art of food and wine pairing as early and as well like the French but this is not to say that other cultures have since not evolved to be as good in food and wine pairing. France’s regional food and wine scene emphasize local produce and raw ingredients to produce terroir-driven dishes with a stern sense of place — including within the glass.

BURGUNDY WINE

Burgundy wine (Bourgogne or Vin de Bourgogne) is wine grown  in the Burgundy region located in the eastern part of France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, an arm of the Rhône. The most renowned wines produced here are their dry red wines prepared from Pinot Noir grapes and white wines prepared from Chardonnay grapes.

Red and white wines are also prepared from other grape varieties, such as Gamay and Aligoté, correspondingly. The region also produces little amounts of rosé and sparkling wines. Burgundy is recognized as having the highest number of appellations d’origine contrôlée (AOC’s) than any other French region and is regularly seen as the most terroir-conscious of the French wine regions. The varieties of Burgundy AOC’s are classified from cautiously delineated Grand Cru vineyards down to a more distracted region.

PROVENCE WINE

A great wine-producing region, known well for its rosé wines, of which  Côtes de Provence and Côteaux d’Aix are the most prominent ones. However, red wines are also produced in Provence, together with some very rich red wines from the Var, and “grey wine” from the Camargue area. The most illustrious of the area’s wines is Bandol, notable since the middle ages. Some of the southern  parts of the Côtes du Rhone AOP area also overlap into the Provence region.

BRITTANY WINE REGION

Brittany, which is on the north-western side of France, is well-known as a cultural region. This region in the French language is referred to as Bretagne and in other terms, this is referred to as Little Britain. Bounded by the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Bay of Biscay on its four sides, this region has a prosperous history of vine cultivation and winemaking. Aside Muscadet, we can find numerous appellations having originated from a number of unique varietals like Merlot and Gros plants.

Generally, the main part of Brittany is used for cultivating wines from Muscadet and Gros plants as the base. The history of Muscadet in Brittany is dated back to the seventeenth century when Dutch merchants in the Loire first introduced it. The present-day Muscadet vineyard is seeing extending from the coast to the island. The greatest examples of Muscadet can be seen in the regions of Sèvre et Maine. The Muscadet wines provide a perfect combination with any seafood dish.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

Wine flavors are made from definite components: sugar, fruit acid, tannin, and alcohol. Foods also contain flavor components, such as fat, salt, acid, sugar and bitter. The most flourishing food and wine pairings entails complementary components that enhance the richness and textures.

ELEMENTS OF FOOD AND WINE PAIRING

There are a small number of elements that make both red wine and white wine pairings work, and they are deduced from the distinctiveness of the food and how they blend with those of the wine.  The elements are fat, acid, salt, bitterness texture and sweetness.

Many favorite foods, both dairy and meat products, have a high grade of fat. Wine does not contain fat, so when matching fatty food with wine, consider that it has to balance that fat with acid, cut it along with tannin, or match its affluence with alcohol. Acid is another important element in both food and wine. In wine, it annexes nerve, freshness, and lifts. This is also with food. When searching for a wine to go with an acidic dish, you should ensure the perceived acidity of the wine is at least equivalent to that of the food. Salt, sweetness, texture, and bitterness are other factors that affect the matching of food with wine.

BURGUNDY: BOEUF BOURGUIGNON AND PINOT NOIR

Residence to escargot, mustard, and an array of savory meat dishes, Burgundy is commonly considered one of the critical regions in France for food and wine. The region’s loaded cuisine and insanely thorough wine culture (Burgundy is certified for essentially establishing the concept of terroir) make it the best place to begin when it comes to drinking and eating your way through France. For beginners, dive into Burgundy’s namesake dish, boeuf bourguignon, which is a loving meat and vegetable stew. As soon as it deemed a peasant’s meal, boeuf bourguignon can now be found in some of the country’s best menus, together with those at Michelin-starred restaurants. Serve along with a local glass of Pinot Noir, the region’s mark red wine grape of any quality level and this is as simple and extraordinary match as one can have.

PROVENCE: BOUILLABAISSE WITH ROSÉ

Pot and Bowl of bouillabaisse enriched with parsley. Nothing says Provence in the south of France like its love of fresh fish, here paired along with lip-smacking rosé. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provencal fish stew created from local Marseilles fish with celery, potatoes, tomatoes, and Provencal herbs, then served together with slices of grilled bread. The ultimate dish is both layered and intricate, enjoining a versatile, food-lovely wine with bright acidity. The trick is done by the beauty of the simplicity and accommodating local rosé wines.

BRITTANY: CRÊPES AND MELON DE BOURGOGNE

This is a Crêpe pancake together with ham, soft white cheese avocado, and egg on a white plate. Even though the traditional pairing for crêpes is commonly cider or beer, serving up savory pancakes along with a glass of local white wine can be equally a thirst-quenching changeup. This coastal, Atlantic-influenced region produces wine from the melon de Bourgogne grape — however, otherwise Muscadet — producing high-acid, saline-tinged wine that will match gently with this dish.

IN CONCLUSION

We have just started to scratch the surface of food and wine pairing and especially French wine, a task that can take a lifetime to get an understanding. The critical issue here is to understand at its core the French Paradox, which essentially brings some understanding how such a righ and fat based diet together with red wine in moderation can accomplish arguably the lowest heart disease culture and country.

The immediate connection made with Guiseppe Quintarelli is the idea of raw, quality, old-school wine.

Quintarelli was known for decades in the industry – which consisted of creating wines, labels and even corks that are of the highest quality. Everything he touched was made in complete perfection.
Guiseppe’s legacy set the benchmark for winemakers to follow – and set the standard for what wine from the Veneto region should be like.

In modern times, it has become the norm to release young wines without allowing the wines to develop to their full potential.

What Quintarelli did, was exhibit the importance of ageing wines thoroughly – and has proven time after time that those wines are beyond comparison. The wines from his estate were and still are, after all, considered some of the highest quality in Italy.

What Quintarelli had managed to prove – is that with patience, precision and a true passion for the craft, exquisite wine can be produced.

Although his wines carry quite a high price-tag, most would agree that the price is well worth the quality that is exhibited.

Considering the environment he grew up in, it stands without reason that Guiseppe’s eldest daughter would easily sustain what he had built after his death. In complete control of the wine production now, Florenza is one of the people to make waves in this region for the types of wine to be produced.

Even without her father, the range of wines produced here are still considered to be wines of the highest of excellence in the world of wine.

Her father and grandfather have managed to set the physical vines, as well as standards and traditions so well that she would just be able to continue the legacy effortlessly.

Other than Florenza, there are a number of other winemakers in Veneto who follow similar winemaking values in Veneto.

Among them is Stefano Inama, who grew up making wine with his father all his life.
Stefano’s family estate was blessed with unique volcanic soil, but their practices are what put their wine above the rest.

Stefano’s belief in organic and traditional wine practices, along with his belief in minimal intervention has made his wines one the most sought after. His views on wine consist of the importance of natural and traditional methods in a world where modern technology feels as though it has taken control. This is where the overlapping in both Guiseppe and Stefano’s practices shine through.

As Guiseppe Quintarelli was, Stefano is extremely humble concerning his wine – and focuses more on creating good wine than he is about declaring it. His wine, for instance, is organic – but he believes it is vital for creating wine and should not be a marketing tool. One might state that the highlight of the Inama wines’ philosophy is the emphasis on quality and naturalism above anything else – and thus the wines here are regarded so highly.

Considering these are the types of values that winemakers in Veneto are taken to heart it is no wonder that Veneto is such a popular wine region. Not only is the terroir from this region of spectacular in its ability for the wines to produce such quality, but so are the winemakers and their practices.

Grüner Veltliner has a rich history in Austria that dates back to the mid-1800’s. However, most American wine enthusiasts only began discovering the delightful array of wines that comes from this varietal in the early 2000’s. Back then, they were one of the best-kept secrets of the wine world.

Thanks to the large demand for Grüner Veltliner by Austrians who would seek to shake things off at their wine-grower-owned wine-taverns, the wine growers began putting more focus on this varietal. It has an exceptional ability to create depth and character, which is why today, half of the white vine acreage in Austria is devoted to it.

Grüner Veltliner is well-suited to the soils that line the Danube. Rich in minerals, it helps the grapes thrive and its cold resistance is ideal. Depending on how each wine maker interprets it, you may find yourself with a light and cheery flavor or it could be rich, dense, and heady. There’s no one that is better than another, though wine enthusiasts surely have their favorites. Much of what you’ll love depends on your palate though the possibilities for exploring the depth and variety of this varietal are seemingly endless.

Light Grüner Veltliner is much like what you’d find in the wine taverns. They often have screw caps or pop-tops. Berger, Setzer, and Hofer of the Kremstal and Weinviertal regions are some that might tickle your palate in the most authentically Austrian and lively ways.

If you’d like to try something a bit richer, there are offering from Nikolaihof, Ott, and Hiedler in the Wachau, Kamptal, and Wagram regions, respectively. For more crisp and mineral flavors, you should try Schloss Gobelsburg and Weingut Bründlmayer. As you can see, the depth of flavor from this one varietal is indeed astounding.

In the last 20 years, what’s changed about Grüner Veltliner is that winemakers are truly seeing its full potential and exploring it, thanks to the feedback Austria has been getting and its contributions to the wine world. Today’s offerings of these wines are even more complex than their counterparts with more exotic flavors reflective of the mineral-rich soil. But what makes it truly stand apart in production of Grüner Veltliner today is how well it ages, much like the better-known Riesling. It’s much more versatile when paired with food though, even more adept than Riesling and it marries tremendously well with the massive amounts of asparagus dishes that Austrians love so much and that this grape is so well suited for.

For those that have never tried Grüner Veltliner, we recommend trying different ones to see the span of flavors and aromas they each lend. Some great ones recently tasted are:

Berger Grüner Veltliner, a flinty wine that goes beautifully with white fish dishes.

Setzer Grüner Veltliner, another match made in heaven for fish dinners.

Hofer Grüner Veltliner, a bit lemony with a crisp apple finish.

Hirsch Kammern Grüner Veltliner, crisply acidic and utterly complex.

Schloss Gobelsburg Renner Grüner Veltliner, ripely fresh and intense.