H&M Hofer Bio Grüner Veltliner (2015) Wine Review

Is that a bottle opener on the end of your cork screw? Why would you need that? Some of your friends are beer drinkers – gasp! Perhaps that's why, or perhaps you need a bottle opener to open your wine. 

Seeing the closure on this week’s Wine Wednesday feature, the 2015 H&M Hofer Bio Grüner Veltliner, caused me to add it to my cart.  It’s the first time I’ve seen a wine that you needed a bottle opener to open. I found this at Whole Foods (It’s made with organic grapes) and I couldn’t resist.

To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes. It’s like the first time I saw a bottle of wine with a screw cap, could it be any good?

Well, yes it can be.  I loved it. It’s one of the best Grüner Veltliners I have ever had.  Notes of pear, honey, and orange blossom on the nose presented slightly sweet with big fruit and white pepper on the palate.  It was lively on the tongue, evidence of stainless steel fermentation, and it delighted with a long finish.  It was a perfectly balanced wine, which makes it extremely versatile.

So, do you have to finish it all in one setting? No, not unless you want to. Though you can’t put the bottle cap back on, one of my wine stoppers seals it nicely.  I wrote this blog post last night while sipping on a glass, and have plans to enjoy it with Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia for dinner tonight.  Next time, I’ll plan ahead, and serve it with Wiener Schnitzel Hamburg Style, Lyonnaise Potatoes and Lettuce Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette, and relive some fond food memories of days spent in Austria. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia

Wiener Schnitzel, Lyonnaise Potatoes, and Lettuce with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Pfaffl Zeiseneck Grüner Veltliner 2012 Wine Review

Austria. I love Austria. I’ve been there several times and each time I’ve experienced this visceral sense of belonging. I have no knowledge of ancestry there, but sometimes what you feel is greater than what you know.  If I were one to believe in former lives I might conclude that one of mine had ties there. 

What’s interesting is the last time I was in Austria was in 2005, the first was in 1991 and if I have any regrets it is that I didn’t discover Grüner Veltliner until about 8 years ago.  Now I have yet another reason why I simply must return! Grüner Veltliner is the most important native grape to Austria. Over 75% of the varietal comes from Austria.

Today’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2012 Pfaffl Zeiseneck Grüner Veltliner is the entry level Grüner Veltliner from winemaker Roman Josef Pfaffl.  The wine comes from the Weinviertel region near Vienna which also borders the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Zeiseneck is the name of the vineyard the grapes are sourced from.

As days start getting warmer I start turning to lighter fair and wines such as this. On the nose, herbal notes and a distinct minerality with subtle hints of smoke. I enjoyed the slightly round mouth feel with a clean crisp finish and what some may describe as a bit of pepper on the finish as well.  I think of it more as a slight tingle on the tongue that can often accompany a wine aged in stainless tanks. This for me adds to the refreshment and makes it a great summer sipper.

The vineyard for this wine lies on the largest fossil oyster reef in the world and the terroir seemingly predisposes it for pairing with shellfish. Try with Steamed Mussels or Clams alla Puttanesca. In fact use it in the recipes as well. To print or save the recipes, click the links below. 

Steamed Mussels

Clams alla Puttanesca