| Grüner Veltliner | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Grüner Muskateller, Veltliner (more) |
| Origin | Austria? |
| Notable regions | Lower Austria, Burgenland, Slovakia, Moravia |
| Notable wines | Smaragds from Wachau |
| VIVC number | 12930 |
Grüner Veltliner (Green Veltliner)German:[ˈɡʁyːnɐfɛltˈliːnɐ]ⓘ) is awhite winegrape variety grown primarily inAustria,Hungary,Slovakia, and theCzech Republic. The leaves of the grape vine are five-lobed with bunches that are long but compact, and deep green grapes thatripen in mid-late October in theNorthern Hemisphere.
In 2008, Grüner Veltliner plantations in Austria stood at 17,151 hectares (42,380 acres), and it accounts for 32.6% of all vineyards in the country, almost all of it being grown in the northeast of the country. Thus, it is the most-planted grape variety in Austria. Some is made intosparkling wine in the far northeast aroundPoysdorf. Along theDanube to the west ofVienna, inWachau,Kremstal andKamptal, it grows withRiesling in terraces on slopes so steep they can barely retain any soil. The result is a very pure, mineral wine capable of long aging, that stands comparison with some of the great wines of the world. In recent blind tastings organized by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Grüner Veltliners have beaten world-classChardonnays from the likes ofMondavi andMaison Louis Latour.[1]
Outside of Austria, Grüner Veltliner is the second most widely grown white grape variety in the Czech Republic, encompassing approximately 2,120 hectares (5,200 acres) and resulting in approximately 11% of Czech wine production.[2] In recent years a few US wineries have started to grow and bottle Grüner Veltliner, including wineries and vineyards inMassachusetts, Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia, at Hazy Mountain's Little North Mountain Vineyard inSwoope, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley AVA)),Oregon,Maryland, theNorth Fork of Long Island AVA andFinger Lakes AVA regions ofNew York State,Napa Valley,Clarksburg AVA,Monterey AVA,Russian River Valley AVA, andSanta Ynez Valley AVA inCalifornia,Ashtabula County,Ohio, SouthernNew Jersey'sBellview Winery, Pennsylvania, and along theLake Michigan Shore AVA of Southwest Michigan. Gruner Veltliner is also planted inAustralia, particularly in theAdelaide Hills wine region inSouth Australia, as well as theOkanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada.
Some ampelographers (such asHermann Goethe in his 1887 handbook ofampelography) have long assumed that Grüner Veltliner is not related to the other varieties with "Veltliner" in their name (such asRoter Veltliner), or that it is only distantly related.[3] A first DNA analysis in the late 1990s securedSavagnin (Traminer) as one parent of Grüner Veltliner, but was not able to identify the other parent among the candidates studied.[4] The other parent was later found to be an originally unnamed variety of which only a single, abandoned, very old and weakened vine was found inSt. Georgen am Leithagebirge outsideEisenstadt in Austria. The grape is therefore referred to asSt. Georgener-Rebe or "St. Georgen-vine".[5]
Grüner Veltliner has a reputation of being a particularlyfood-friendly wine and is a popular offering on restaurantwine lists.[6] It is made into wines of many different styles - much is intended for drinking young in theHeuriger (bars serving new wine) ofVienna, a little is made into sparkling wine, but some is capable of longaging. The steep vineyards of theDanube (Donau) west ofVienna produce very pure, mineral Grüner Veltliners intended for laying down. Down in the plains, citrus and peach flavors are more apparent, with spicy notes of pepper and sometimes tobacco.
Grüner Veltliner has been believed to date back toRoman times, with its name being derived fromVeltlin (Valtellina) innorthern Italy, though ampelographers and wine historians have yet to find a link between the grape and the Italian commune.[5] The grape is likelyindigenous to Austria.[7] The current name appeared in a document for the first time in 1855; before that time it was known asWeißgipfler.[3][4] Only by the 1930s was Grüner Veltliner established as the standard name of the grape. Until theSecond World War, it was regarded as just another Austrian grape, but after the introduction ofLenz Moser'sHochkultur system ofvine training, it expanded quickly in plantation from the 1950s to later become Austria's most planted variety.[4]
In recent years, Grüner Veltliner has seen an uptick in interest following the results of a 2002wine tasting organized byMasters of WineJancis Robinson andTim Atkin. Here Grüner Veltliner from Austria beat out several highly acclaimed whiteGrand cru wines fromBurgundy.[7]
In 2007,DNA analysis confirmed that Grüner Veltliner was a naturalcrossing ofSavagnin (Traminer) and an obscure Austrian grapevine from the village of Sankt Georgen am Leithagebirge located outsideEisenstadt in theBurgenland region of eastern Austria.[5] The vine was first found in 2000 in an overgrown part of apasture in a location where there had not been any vineyard since the late 19th century, and is assumed to have been the last vine in this location for over a century. Local experts were not able to determine the variety of the vine. Only when it was threatened to be ripped out in 2005 additional samples were taken and later analyzed atKlosterneuburg. Genetic analysis in the following years byFerdinand Regner was able to determine thatSt. Georgener-Rebe is a parent variety to Grüner Veltliner.[3][8][9]
St. Georgener-Rebe was once known under the synonymGrüner Muskateller but appears to have no direct relationship to theMuscat family of grapes. In February 2011, the single surviving vine of St. Georgener-Rebe, thought to be over 500 years old, was vandalized and severely cut in several places by an unknown assailant. The vine survived with the Austrian government designating the vine as a protected natural monument. Ampelographers are currently propagatingcuttings of the vine for vineyard plantings and commercial cultivation.[5][10]
Through its parent, Savagnin, Grüner Veltliner is a half sibling ofRotgipfler and is either a grandchild or a half-sibling toPinot noir which has a parent-offspring relationship with Savagnin. The nature of this relationship is unclear sinceDNA profiling has not yet determined between Pinot and Savagnin which grape is the parent and which grape is the offspring.[5]
Despite having the nameGrüner Veltliner, the grape has no known connection to other Veltliner grapes includingRoter Veltliner andFrühroter Veltliner. The grey-berried vineGrauer Veltliner (also known as Veltliner Grau) was once thought to be a distinct grape variety but DNA evidence in 1996 showed that it was acolor mutation of Grüner Veltliner.[5]
Grüner Veltliner is a mid-ripening grape variety that usually does not have an issue achievingphysiological ripeness in most of the northern European wine regions where it is grown. The vine can be very fruitful and highyielding producing small, yellowish-green berries. Grüner Veltliner is very susceptible to theviticultural hazards ofdowny andpowdery mildews as well as infestation from a species ofrust mites that feed on grape leaves.[5]
While Grüner Veltliner can grow on a variety ofvineyard soils, wine expertOz Clarke notes that the grape tends to thrive on soils with highloess content.[11] While newer vineyards have been experimenting with a variety ofvine training systems, in Austria Grüner Veltliner has been historically trained in the Lenz Moser style developed in the 1920s. Known as the "high culture" orHochkultur method because of how relatively high (1.3 metres (4.3 ft)) the vine trunk is allowed to grow, the goal is to reducevine density by spacing the vines in wide rows that are 3.5 meters (11.5 ft) apart.[12]
Grüner Veltliner is most closely associated with Austria where it is the most widely planted grape variety in the country, covering almost a third of all Austrian vineyards, with 17,034 hectares (42,092 acres) in cultivation in 2012. The grape is authorized in fiveDistrictus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) regions—theWeinviertel where it is the only permitted grape variety;Leithaberg where it can be made as avarietal or blended withPinot blanc,Chardonnay andNeuburger;Traisental,Kremstal andKamptal where it is planted with Riesling. The grape is also found in the Donauland (now known as theWagram region) and in theWachau region ofLower Austria. Along theDanube river warm air currents come in from thePannonian Basin to the east and blow westward, warming the vines. This area tends to produce morefull bodied wines withpeach flavor notes.[5]
The Weinviertel region in the northeast, along the border with theCzech Republic andSlovakia, is home to more than half of all Austrian Grüner Veltliner with 8,529 hectares (21,080 acres) reported in 2012. Here the grape can achieve very high yields (up to 100 hectoliters/hectare or 5.7 tonnes/acre) and can produce simple,quaffing wines with freshacidity and crisp fruit as well asbase wine for sparklingsekt. But in vineyards on favorable locations where the yields are restricted, wine producers can make examples of full-bodied, dry Grüner Veltliner that has pepper, mineral and citrus notes that can developBurgundian wine traits as they age.[5]
In the vineyard area aroundLake Neusiedl along the border withHungary there is 1,272 hectares (3,143 acres) of Grüner Veltliner planted along the east side of the lake and 882 hectares (2,179 acres) planted in the Neusiedlersee-Hügelland "hill country" on the west side. Here somesweetAuslese andbotryizedTrockenbeerenauslese styles of Grüner Veltliner can be produced.[5]
InKrems-Hollenburg, located just east ofKrems an der Donau, one of the oldest vineyards in Austria still being used for commercial wine production is home toold vines of Grüner Veltliner that are more than 150 years old.[5]
Grüner Veltliner is known asVeltlinske Zelené inSlovakia where it is the most widely planted white grape variety in the country. The grape's 3,805 hectares (9,402 acres) represent almost one-fifth of all grape plantings in the country. Across the border in the Czech Republic, the local synonym for Grüner Veltliner is similar,Veltlinské zelené, with 1,713 hectares (4,233 acres) in production as of 2011.[5]
InTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol wine region of north eastItaly, along the border with Austria, virtually any grapevine withVeltliner in its name (particularlyVeltliner bianco) is likely to be Grüner Veltliner. At one pointFrühroter Veltliner was planted in old vineyards of theAlto-Adige but most of those vines have beenuprooted and replaced with other varieties. Grüner Veltliner is a permitted variety in theDenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wines ofValdadige DOC andValle Isarco DOC.[5]
InGermany, Grüner Veltliner is the grape behind the historicHansenwein produced in the village ofPlochingen located outsideStuttgart in theWürttemberg wine region. InFrance, the grape is not permitted in anyAppellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) wine however there are a few hectares of Grüner Veltliner being cultivated on an experimental basis in the country.[5]
There is 1,439 hectares (3,560 acres) of Grüner Veltliner planted inHungary where the grape is known asZöld Veltlini. The majority of these plantings are found in the western wine regions aroundLake Balaton, the northern vineyards in the foothills of theMátra mountains and the southern wine regions ofTolna County andKunság. Some plantings of Grüner Veltliner can also be found inBulgaria.[5]
In recent years, plantings of Grüner Veltliner have been expanding in theNew World wine regions ofAustralia,New Zealand, theUnited States andCanada. In New Zealand, the grape was first planted in theGisborne region on theNorth Island where the first commercial bottle of the wine was released byCoopers Creek Vineyard in 2008. From here plantings of Grüner Veltliner spread to theSouth Island wine regions ofMarlborough andCentral Otago. It is grown in Central by Ata Mara vineyards one of the southernmost vineyards in the world. The first bottle of Gruner Veltliner was produced by Ata Mara in 2013. Central Otago has a climate similar to the region of Wachau in Austria with hot day time temperatures and cool nights.
In Canada, Grüner Veltliner is found inBritish Columbia. Across the border in the United States, the grape is planted on a small scale inCalifornia,Washington State,Oregon, Idaho, and New York.[5] In Oregon, the grape is found in theAmerican Viticultural Areas of the Chehalem Mountains,Eola-Amity Hills,Willamette Valley andUmpqua Valley. In the Umpqua Valley,Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards is believed to be the first winery in the United States to produce a commercial Grüner Veltliner with their 2005 release.[13][14] Other notable Oregon Growers include Chehalem Winery, Raptor Ridge Winery, and Illahe Vineyards. New York State'sFinger Lakes AVA is home to some small plantings of Grüner Veltliner due to the cool climate and proximity to the glacially formedFinger Lakes which help mitigate excessive cold in the early spring and the winter. Lamoreaux Landing is one of a few notable Finger Lakes wineries that produces Grüner Veltliner.[15]
Additional American plantings of Grüner Veltliner are found inMaryland,Virginia, in theOuter Coastal Plain AVA[16][17] ofNew Jersey and in theLehigh Valley AVA ofPennsylvania. American Grüner Veltliners tend to be medium bodied, lightly fruity with high acidity and spice notes.[18]
In California, one of the early plantings of Grüner Veltliner was in theDiamond Mountain District AVA ofNapa Valley. In 2006, the 1/3 acre planting of the grape atVon Strasser Winery in Diamond Mountain was the only recorded planting of Grüner Veltliner in the state of California.[19]
InAustralia, Grüner Veltliner has seen an increase of interest and plantings which has led wine expertJames Halliday to speculate that the grape may be "the next big thing" in Australian wine.[20] One of the earliest Grüner Veltliner plantings in the country was in theAdelaide Hills wine region in the state ofSouth Australia in 2008 byHahndorf Hill Winery. The grape planting is part of an extensive effort of Adelaide Hills grower, chaired byHenschke's viticulturist, Prue Henschke, to make Grüner Veltliner a signature variety for the region. Here the region's largediurnal temperature variation allow the grape to buildsugar levels during the warm days but maintain a balance ofacidity during the cool nights.[21]
The firstvarietal bottling of Grüner Veltliner in Australia was released in 2009 by theCanberra wineryLark Hill followed by Hahndorf Hill in 2010.[5]
Grüner Veltliner can be produced in a variety of styles from simplejug wine meant to be consumed soon after thevintage to ageworthy wine that can continue to develop in the bottle. According to wine expert Oz Clarke, Grüner Veltliner is usually not veryaromatic in its youth, developing more tertiary aromas with age. Instead the grape often showswhite pepper,lentil andcelery note with some examples showing citrus notes and more full bodied examples having what Clarke describes as a "honeyed weight" to them.[11]
Despite many believing that white pepper aromatics (Rotundone) is a signature feature of Gruner Veltliner, it has been regularly noted in articles by wine expert Jancis Robinson and other writers on Ms. Robinson's web pages,[22] that this is not the case. In recent decades, Ms Robinson has observed that this white pepper characteristic has become less noticeable and nowadays, more often than not, is absent in many classic examples of this variety.
According to wine expertTom Stevenson, Grüner Veltliner is often lightly fruity with noticeable spice and characteristic white pepper note. Well-made examples from favorable vintages can have a similarity toChardonnay produced in Burgundy. And, like Chardonnay, the variety can be made in an overly oaky and "fat" style.Unoaked examples can exhibit a minerality similar to Riesling.[7]
Master of Wine Jancis Robinson notes that Grüner Veltliner is usually produceddry with spicy, peppery notes. It is often full-bodied and with age can take on aromas and flavors similar to white Burgundies.[12]
Over the years Grüner Veltliner, which colloquially is sometimes referred to as GrüVe, has been known under the following synonyms: Bielospicak, Cima Biancam, Dreimänner, Feherhegyü, Feldlinger, Grauer Veltliner (in Austria), Green Veltliner, Grün Muskateller, Grüne Manhardsrebe, Grüner, Grüner Muskateler (in Austria), Grüner Muskateller (in common usage until the 1930s), Grüner Velteliner, Grüner Weissgipfler, Grüner Weltliner, Grünmuskateller, Gruner Veltliner, Manhardsrebe, Manhardtraube, Manhartsrebe, Mauhardsrebe, Mouhardrebe, Mouhardsrebe, Muskatel, Muskatel Zeleny, Nemes Veltelini, Plinia Austriaca, Ranfol bianco, Ranfol Bijeli, Ranfol Weisser, Rdeci Veltinec, Reifler Weiss, Ryvola Bila, Tarant Bily, Valtelin blanc, Valtelina vert, Valteliner, Valteliner blanc, Valteliner vert, Velteliner Grüner, Velteliner vert, Velteliner Weisser, Veltelini Zöld, Veltlin Zeleny, Veltlinac Zeleni, Veltlinec, Veltliner (in Alto Adige), Veltliner blanc, Veltliner grau (in Austria), Veltliner Grun, Veltliner Gruner, Veltliner Grün, Veltliner verde, Veltlini, Veltlinske zelené (in Slovakia), Veltlínské zelené (in Czech Republic), Veltlinski Zelenii, Veltlinsky Vert, Veltlinsky Zeleny, Vetlinac, Vetlinac Zeleni, Weisser Raifler, Weisser Reifler, Weisser Valteliner, Weisser Velteliner, Weisser Veltliner, Weissgipfler (in Austria), Weissgipfler Grüner, Yesil Veltliner, Zeleni Vetlinac (in Slovenia), Zeleny Muskatel, Zleni Veltinac, Zöld Muskotally, Zöld Muskotalynak, Zöld Veltelini (in Hungary), Zöld Velteliny, Zöldveltelini and Zold Veltelini.[5][23][24]
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