Grüner Veltliner

Also known as: Weißgipfler (Austria)

Grüner Veltliner dominates Austria’s vineyards like no other variety – almost a third of the vineyard area. The range is enormous: from light, peppery Heurigen wine to concentrated Smaragd from the Wachau that can age for decades. The typical white pepper on the finish is the hallmark, but the best examples show much more – stone fruit, herbs, sometimes an almost saline minerality.

The Nikolaihof in the Wachau, biodynamic since 1971, leads the Austrian range with aged wines that demonstrate what the variety is capable of. Loimer in the Kamptal and Fritsch in the Wagram also work organically and bring the differences between the regions precisely into the glass. Johannes Zillinger from the Weinviertel expands the spectrum with experimental approaches.