Glühwein!

It's Glühwein time here in Austria - has been for about a month, actually, but I'm just getting around to posting a comment now...been enjoying it too much, perhaps?!?


For those unfamiliar, Glühwein is the German-speaking term for mulled wine. It is typically red, but also comes in a white variety (similar to Sturm, though the law's the opposite, with white being the norm and red the outlier). The Christmas tradition of German mulled wine uses spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, sometimes vanilla pods, cloves and sugar added to boiled wine. 


In Vienna, you can visit a charming Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) - there are dozens around the city - and sample Glühwein or Punsch (rum, sugar and orange or other fruit flavors) at one of the stands (€5-7 for a 1/4 l mug, which you can keep after draining, or give back for a €2 refund). Or, you can buy your own pre-mixed tea bags of spices and add them to the wine of your choice at home for a cheaper version (€2 for a 2-liter bottle of junk wine + €2 for a box of spice bags = party-sized tank of Glühwein). The choice is yours - and your liver's! 

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Stellenrust Pinotage

This South African pinotage has similar taste and tannins to the California wine I bought a couple of months ago from Wine & Co. I'm starting to think whoever is in charge of stocking at W&C is letting his or her taste buds get in the way of a diversity of stocking choices. For everything under €10 that is.


These wines are both too sweet for my taste. As I've mentioned, I like my reds meaty (this from a vegetarian!) and had I known that pinotage was a mix of pinot noir and another, lesser grape, (see here for Wikipedia page) I probably would have skipped it - yes, even though it was on sale!


As things stand, I may have to skip W&C for a while. Their reds are seemingly disappointing, and why splurge on a bad bottle of €9 stuff from South Africa when I can get a perfectly good bottle of Bordeaux at Billa for under €3? I did, nonetheless drink the whole bottle (it's bad luck to waste wine!) so it couldn't have been that terrible.

Did You Know?

Did you know that most wine does not improve with age? Only bottles marked "vintage" are suitable for aging and will gather more flavor as they get older. In addition, there is a classification of of types within the vintages, which is why a 1994 Bordeaux may be worth more than a 1986  Chianti. Additionally, the growing conditions of the season impact the final product, with warmer, sunnier years making for better grape harvests, ergo better wines.

Of course, new wines like a Beaujolais should be drunk immediately, not saved. You probably won't find any vintage wines on this blog in the near future anyway, unless one of us wins the lottery!

Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

I bought this wine for Halloween (think: devil) but didn't have the chance to drink it until now.

It was definitely worth the wait, and the extra cash spent (a whole 8 euros, I know - broke the bank on this one)! Delicioso. Very much like a Tempranillo, not too sweet, not too dry. A little spicy, but not devilishly spicy (wink, wink). It was bought on the same trip to Spar that featured the delicious Hiedler Veltliner.  All in all, a great round of purchases, I think.

Their website has a lackluster commercial in league with Manchester United (...in league with - get it? OK, so it's not all that clever) that probably fared a lot better with South American audiences than with me. Perhaps you need to be a real fútbol fan and not just a poseur (i.e. me). 

Jamek 2011 Grüner Veltliner

Oh, autumn! The most wonderful thing about autumn is the harvest - as it is getting closer to Thanksgiving, my American upbringing is kicking in and I am getting excited about stuffing and pumpkin pie! Here in Austria, the focus is not exactly on turkey and stuffing yourself until you explode, but quite a few seasonal delicacies have sprung up at the Naschmarkt, including mushrooms (it's mushroom season and a favorite Austrian pasttime is picking your own...) and Kürbis (translated as both "squash" and "pumpkin"). I've been experimenting with both ingredients, and since I decided to make a chantrelle (Eierschawmmerl) goulash for dinner, I thought I would flavor it with another favored Austrian autumn classic, a new wine! 


This delicious white wine, produced in the Wachau, is a soft, fruity, light wine - just what you'd expect from a new wine! Opening the bottle reminded me of spring, and though I don't often compare wines to perfumes, it really reminded me of Yoko Ono's signature scent, Ma Griffe (certainly it tastes better than Ma Griffe would, however). Sort of a lemony-sage-jasmine flavor (scent?). I tasted a distinct grapefruit flavor in the palate. The finish is a bit earthier than expected, and the color is a beautiful pale yellow.


I bought this wine for roughly €8 at Wein & Co. It's a bit more than what I normally pay at Spar or Billa, but definitely worth the splurge. 

Duca del Frassino Soave Classico

I picked this bottle up at Merkur, near my apartment. It was on sale for around 6 euros, and the bottle said it won a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2010. So I was surprised to find that in the US, this wine is marketed (and sold) in a box.

Perhaps I am the consummate snob. Perhaps I am woefully out of date. But the boxed wine I remember is Franzia in a four liter cardboard monster, being sipped out of plastic cups (or gulped straight from the carton) by very drunk and insouciant college students gathered in a dorm room, around a campfire or "hidden" in a thermos at a less-than-stellar poetry slam. Not the stuff of dinner parties or persnickety sommeliers.

The wine itself is nice, with a very crisp fruit taste, like Bosco pears or Macintosh apples. Or maybe a bit of both. I've had better Italian whites, I feel...but maybe I'm being overly picky. I prefer Italian reds anyway, but giving this a chance, I can say it is a definite improvement over Franzia, despite how it's marketed outside Europe.

Hiedler Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2010

This wine was the Spar October "Wein des Monats" and is from Langlois, which is incidentally a place I visited around this time last year - it's a small town in the Weinviertel, near the Czech border. Touted as the "region's finest" on the chalkboard outside the wine section, I can even feel reassured that I was buying local when I bought this wine.

The Hiedler tasted excellent with butternut squash au gratin and bleu cheese. The wine is just sweet enough to be perfect with bleu cheese and just dry enough to be able to call itself a Grüner Veltliner. I might just be making this up, but i'm pretty sure I tasted notes of lemongrass and mint. Maybe even strawberry?! It was a very herbal-y wine, at least.

I would definitely buy this wine again. It can even be found online - props to being in a viniferous country!

Botte Buona Sangiovese Rubicone

This is one of those cheap-o wines (€1.99 at Billa) that is so cheap, you've just made up your mind before drinking it that it will be disgusting. You almost have your heart set on bad wine. You think, "A wine without a date? That just says 'Red wind from E.U.' on the bottle? I'll just lower my expectations to the least common denominator."

But, Rubicone (named presumably for the river in Italy - one of the reason I got it. I am such a Classics nerd) was, actually, not only palatable, but quite so! I found it fruity, dark and dry, with a flowery bouquet and plum-type taste.

I will most likely be buying this again. Definitely a Sangiovese fan.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the color of your wine bottle can tell you what's inside without reading the label? Dark green is traditionally reserved for reds, light green for whites, clear for sweet wines, and amber for ports, and some reds. Blue glass is sometimes used for Rhine wines.

Vinous Twitterings

Check us out on Twitter with search #winesnobbery! Remember, in vino veritas! Cheers.

How to drink wine, from Brideshead Revisited, with Sebastian (Anthony Andrews) and Charles (Jeremy Irons). Enjoy!

Cantina Due Palme Brindisi 2009

The Brindisi region of Italy is known for producing wines from the Malvasia (Malmsey) grape, a sweet grape also used in the production of Madeira port.

This is the third of the "bargain bin" wines bought from Wein & Co. (which means I'll have to go back soon! Yes, apparently I have changed my opinion of the place). It is slightly sweeter than what I had expected from an Italian wine, being partial to Chianti. However, once decanted, the taste grows on you. Not as sweet as the Zinfandel I bought on the same trip (I unfortuanltely am going to have to put that one in the "yucky" pile), but still, not a wine to have with dinner. I made the unfortunate mistake of opening mine to sample with the roasted garlic and Brie I made...oops. That should teach me to assume an Italian wine is going to be dry.

Perhaps I'm a hopeless snob, but I did prefer the Brisini to the Zinfandel, although the tastes, textures, colors, etc., were similar. I am not a fan of sweet red wines, unless they are meant to be drunk with dessert. Perhaps this is a good time to bone up on my Italian so I can actually read the wine label and save myself from certain...errors in the future.

All was not lost, however, as this wine is better once decanted (i.e. left to sit out in my kitchen over night...) and tasted much better with a piece of Milka chocolate the next evening after supper!

Ironstone Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel 2007

This, I believe, is the first California wine I've tried in Europe.

Not that I'm a snob about it or anything. Mostly, it's because (like European wines in America), buying a California wine in Austria just isn't cost effective, when there are cheaper, and equally good, local (or at least non-imported) wines to buy all over the place. But, since it's been a while, and I feel a bit homesick (maybe?) I thought I would get a California wine, seeing as it was also on sale - and looked pretty good, to be honest.

Speaking of honesty, I must admit, I'm not much of an "Old Vine Zin" fan, although I probably should be. Like most Americans, I am more familiar with White Zinfandel (sadly the staple at Christmas and other family gatherings) and I know what I feel about it. No nostalgia, no warm, fuzzy sensations - unless it's been shoved down my gullet and in struggling to get away I unwittingly imbibed too much of it. So, Zinfandels, I've had it out for you since before I could drink. Legally.

I remember my first encounter with Old Vine Zinfandel (red as opposed to rose wine) and it was not unpleasant: getting a bottle of Gnarly Head at some World Market campaign during senior year. Also a California wine, I remember being pleasantly surprised. However, it's been quite a while since then, and perhaps my taste buds have changed.

The second of my Wein & Co. bargain purchases, Ironstone Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel is dark, flavorful, and very sweet...for a dry wine. It tastes, in fact, a little saccharine. i like strong flavors, nothing artificial, and to me, wine should not be like Coca-Cola but like wine.

The Zinfandel grape, it must be known, has a high sugar content, which is precisely why it makes such a popular wine. In fact, the sugar allows the wine to ferment to very high alcohol percentages, upwards of 16% in certain processes.  However, that aftertaste of sugary-syrupyness is not what I desire in a full-bodied wine. Leave me to my Merlot, and I'm the better for it.

My motto thus far has been: don't get anything in Europe that you can get at home. I think it'll stick, for now.

Did You Know?

Did you know that as of 2010, rosé wine sales outnumber white wine sales in France? Oh là là!


PS - Apparently in China, too. Follow this link for more!

Sturm!

Yes, they have officially started selling Sturm for the season! Sturm, for those unfamiliar with the wine-making process, is wine in its very first fermentation of the year. It's a lot like a mix between a grape cider and a grape beer, with the possibility of as much alcohol content as the wine it will become, but tastes just like juice, so you don't feel like you're drinking wine. Thus the name, "storm," which refers most undoubtedly to the hangover you get the next day...like a hurricane in your head. However, since it is only produced for a few short weeks, typically September through October each year, it is a rarity and an indulgence.

Sturm is almost always a white wine, perhaps because of the climate of Austria and the preference for white wines in this region, it is the most abundant. However, I have also seen red sturm, though I personally prefer white. Red sturm can be awfully heavy, whereas white sturm is lighter and, by contrast, more refreshing. Also, because of the yeast content, sturm has a lot of B vitamins!

Known as must in English, the drink appears in other wine-making cultures. But, I ask you, where else but in Vienna would you find sturm sold in such disparate places as: 1) a traditional Kaffeehaus, 2) a ritzy restaurant in the Museums Quartier, 3) a street festival, and 4) an Aldi (Austrian = Hofer)? If you have an idea, let me know.

Vista Tinta Roriz 2008

This tasty wine is not only a good sippin' wine (similar to a Spanish tempranillo), but also the official wine of Portugal! Similar to a Cognac, Champagne, etc., the Roriz has a special regional significance. Because it is the national wine of Portugal, only the Portuguese can produce it, in the Douro region. It is produced by Alianca.

Also the first of my bargains from Wein & Co. This little bottle set me back 5.59 euros, being the "wine of the month" (at normal price, 6.99 euros - 6.29 per bottle at 12 bottles from W&C...) the flavor is smoky, with a bit of a peppery after-taste. Perfect with savory items, like grill foods and cheeses.

The flavor is a bit heavy for this time of year. I would say this is more of an October wine, considering the spice factor. A lighter red, like a new wine (2010) or perhaps a Beaujolais would go better with high 70s temps. In any case, this is definitely an enjoyable (and cheap!) wine from a region which, unfortunately, doesn't get a lot of press.

Wein & Co. & the Bargain Bin

Recently, I was at the Naschmarkt, getting some cooking supplies/ingredients, when I saw a big, fat red sign in the window of Wein & Co. (a chain liqueur store in Vienna) which read: 50% OFF SUMMER CLEARANCE! Which lured me in, and I'm glad it did: I got 3 interesting wines for under 20 euros. Now, unfortunately, Wein & Co. has a reputation for me...and not a very good one.

Here's why:

1) I despise chain stores.
2) This is the very place I got that quite disgusting rose mentioned in this post.
3) The prices seem overly inflated for tourists and the like.
4) Being unable to afford expensive, quality wine, I normally just stake out one or two of my tried-and-true brands sold at the grocery store where I shop.
5) Being the consummate bargain hunter, I look at price tag first.

But, being the consummate bargain hunter, I am also lured by getting something for less that sticker price. And, with 50% off nice wines, I can start to afford them! From this expedition, I found: a Portuguese wine, a California wine, and a French wine.

More to come...once they've been "taste tested"...

Il Sole: Rosso delle Venezie 2010

This Italian red is also an organic selection, bought from Bio-Markt Maran in Vienna.

The bouquet is spicy, with notes of cherry and cinnamon. And from the name, it is discernible that the wine is from Venice. More, such as the grape variety, is less discernible. By that, I mean it doesn't say what it is on the bottle. However, the taste is reminiscent of a Chianti or a Temperanillo...a nice red grape grown in a southern clime. Near the sea?

On sale for €3.59, I bought two bottles. Although I can't taste an appreciable difference between organic and "regular" red wine, like I can with tomatoes, for example, the price difference is completely nonexistant, at least in this instance. Definitely a keeper.

Hochriegl Frizzante Acht

According to the bottle, the Hochriegl Frizzante Acht is a Viennese traditon. To me, it just tasted like any other sparkling wine.

I have not had incredible luck finding good wine in Vienna. In Austria, yes. In Vienna, no. I think back to a bottle of rosé I bought from Wein & Co. the first time I was in Vienna four years ago. It was terrible...though, to be fair, it followed a very good Kékfrancos (the one mentioned in this post, though not the titular Kékfrancos) bought in Budapest and accompanied by too many Mozartkugeln. From which the inevitable happened: one of us got sick, and both of us swore off Austrian wine.

Not a fair judgment to be sure. Personally, I have enjoyed many an Austrian wine since, and will continue to do so. But, as far as prosecco goes, it's a better bet to stick with the Italian varieties. I can honestly say I've had very good sparkling wine in  Italy - and, limited by budget, it's been 100% cheap-ass prosecco. Keep this in mind, friends:

V.C.'s Rules to Follow when Purchasing a Wine in Austria:
1. Austria is great for a Grüner Veltliner, a Zweigelt or sometimes a Blaufränkisch.
2. In Vienna, you will be gouged for French wines. Instead, buy Austrian.
3. Austria is really close to Italy, so Italian wines are cheaper than French ones. But not as cheap as Austrian.
4. Always buy Italian prosecco, even if it's not on sale.
5. When given the choice between a sale-priced French wine and an Italian wine, it's your call.
6. Similar to French wines, American wines are insanely overpriced. Something you could get at Festival Foods for $5 in Wisconsin (i.e. Turning Leaf) is priced roughly at €12. Just because it's imported.
7. Cheap is fine. Cheap-ass might get you in trouble*.

*For example, stay away from anything in a 2 liter plastic bottle, no matter how appealing the price may be.

Lenz Moser Fête Rosé 2010

This delicious rosé is reminiscent of all things yummy in summer – the color is like ripe watermelon, the taste like strawberries crushed in champagne. I am pleasantly surprised, not only that I’ve found yet another scrumptious rosé (having assumed from a previous bad experience that rosé wine is difficult – one could say high maintenance) and a cheap one to boot! This particular bottle was €2.99 (on sale from €4.99) at the Unimarkt in Amstetten. Wine of the Month. And a good month it was, too.

I believe I will purchase often from Lenz Moser - their website again, for those not in Austria.

Austro-Hugarian Flair: Esterházy Chardonnay Classic

The good thing about empires? They leave behind great wines! Another empire as we know, was also run on wine...

This delicious white wine is what all Chardonnays should be. A bit high on the price side at €7.80, it is seriously worth it! The notes are lemony, with a bit of mint after taste. It has the perfect body as well - not to heavy, not too light. Goldilocks would approve.

I got this at the local Merkur in Amstetten, but you can contact the vintners via this website.

A bit of information about the Esterházy name: the House of Esterházy (also spelled Eszterházy) was a Hungarian noble family who, once the Habsburgs took power, cuddled up to the Emperor and Empress. They stem from Pressburg (Pozsony) but also had a (more famous) chateau in Eisenstadt now the capital of the Austrian state of Burgenland. Like the Habsburgs themselves, the Esterházy family had a string for fortuitous (read: political) marriages that helped them become the largest landowners in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Today, the winery in Eisenstadt still produces "Maria Theresa's favorite wine" (the chardonnay) as well as a number of other delicious varieties that would make an empire proud!

Lenz Moser Selection 2009

Lenz Moser Grüner Veltliner; came in box

VC got this as a gift for being the judge of an English speaking competition in St. Pölten in March.

The flavor is a bit sweeter than the average Veltliner, which  could be accounted for with the "Selection" label. The bouquet is fruity, lots of citrus (lemon, and maybe even grapefruit). The palate is very like a Riesling, and went well with my veggie stir fry.

The 2010  Grüner Veltliner just won the International Wine Challenge 2011. That should tell you something! Prices for this particular wine I cannot share, because it was a gift. But, according to the website, you can get the wine for €6.30 per bottle, with the opportunity to join the Lenz Moser club, and buy wine. They also have the possibility to ship their wares to you throughout the world! Snazzy.

Thanks* A Bunch

After I tried the white wine from the Austrian Winvino collection, I immediately thought to try the red as well, being obsessed as I am and all...

Danke is a light, fruity, Zweigelt from Burgenland. Sour cherry notes can be detected, as well as a hint of spice...cinnamon? Since the 2010 is still a new wine, it is much crisper than an aged Zweigelt, which would tend more toward the Cabernet Sauvignon end of the body spectrum.

For a mere €2.89 at my local Penny Markt, I was able to procure this flavorful Austrian wine. Because of the similarity in taste and quality to a Pinot Noir grape, and because the French variety is so much better known worldwide, it is often difficult to find a Zweigelt outside of Central and Eastern Europe,where the grape is mainly grown. However, seeing as I am in Central Europe, what better way to celebrate than with a Zweigelt?

Prost!


*For the non-German speakers in the audience, danke is "thank you"in German. Think the song "Danke Schön" made famous by Wayne Newton and sung by Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Darling, Danke Schön!

Polgár Kadarka Siller 2009

The second wine from Hungary, Polgár Kadarka Siller (2009) is a rosé made from the Kadarka grape.


As far as rosés go, this wine is dry, slightly tart, with a bouquet of raspberries. Great on its own, or with food. I made vegetarian tacos from a mix to have with my Polgár Kadarka Siller (not the most elegant choice, but whatever). I would recommend something better...their website has some suggestions.


Definitely an improvement on the Kékfrancos also bought on this trip. At 1650 Forint (~ €7) per bottle, it is a bit pricier, but worth the extra €3 or so for the superior taste.

For those of you who only drink white wine (SHAME ON YOU!), I would definitely recommend getting to know a rosé or two - on a trial basis, if need be. You'll get all the comforts of a white wine (chilled, slightly sweeter depending on the variety) but made from a red grape. The process is complicated, but basically they take the skins off halfway through the fermentation process. Once you've gotten used to the taste of rosé,  trust me, you'll be ready for red.

More Wine Splurges in Venice: Caffe Florian

Much like our other post from a few days ago, this one is about our indulgences in Venice.

me with (unseeable) bell town in background

While in Venice, we partook in the Venetian cafe culture at the Caffe Florian on Piazza San Marco. Although a bit more than what we should have paid for a glass of wine (8 euro) and sandwich (12 euro), the cafe is one of the oldest coffee houses in the city (serving overpriced sandwiches since 1720) and was a great cultural experience, albeit one I only need to do once in a lifetime. We chose Caffe Florain for 1) name recognition (thanks, Rick Steves) and 2) for its live music. All of the cafes on St. Mark's Square have live bands in the evening, but Caffe Florian's band had a little something special. Perhaps it was the woman violinist? The accordion player?

Callie enjoying the music

Knowing that Venice caters to tourists almost as a natural process of the city's functions (it's hard to imagine Venice without tourists, actually), felt too-good-to-be-true at times: like Disney World. Like there was no real life in the city, and no real inhabitants. Just pretty buildings and canals. Like we were visiting a museum for an extended weekend. And like we really mattered to the wait staff, hotel staff, etc., etc. as long as we could pay up in the end. Venice, decidedly so, is not for the faint of pocketbook. Thus, splurge ;)

Also, photos of us enjoying Bellinis (finally uploaded!!)

Lelovits Kékfrankos 2007

the Kekfrancos grape on the vine

Similar to a Pinot Noir, the Kékfrankos grape is red and juicy and grown in Hungary and eastern Austria (known in German as Zweigelt).


Unfortuantely, our latest attempt at getting a Kékfrancos...that is, replicating the absolute heaven that was a bottle of Kékfrancos bought in 2007 in Budapest, was a no-go. V.C.'s latest trip to Hungary (resulting in 2 bottles of wine) was less successful than originally hoped, mostly due to her inability to remember exactly what kind of wine she got last time - just that it was a Kékfrancos. And communication in A) Hungarian and B) English with Hungarians can be, to put it diplomatically...difficult.

Result? The realization that not all Kékfrancos are created equal. A mediocre yet incredibly cheap (< 1000 Forint, i.e. ~ 4 Euro) bottle of Kékfrancos from a charming wine shop midway between our hostel and the downtown (Pest) ended up coming home with me, to be drunk about a week ago in my apartment in Amstetten.

Says C.B.: "Not as divine as what we had 3 years ago." With yucky-face sort of like this: >:P

Breaking the Budget: Vino in Venezia

Having recently reunited for a European adventure (take two), V.C. and I have returned (in her case) and arrived (in mine) in Austria from Italy, where we visited Venice and the Italian Riviera. Beautiful! Relaxing! Delightful! We love Italy even more than the first time we did when we were there three years ago. Three years can change a lot of things...

Today I bring you a vinous update from the watery canals of Venice, that most elegant city, where the drink of choice is a Bellini, followed closely by prosecco.

Having decided that if we were going to drink Bellinis, they should be good Bellinis, we decided to forgo the frugal path of wisdom in favor of splurging on 8 Euro Bellinis at the Hotel Metropole, an elegant and otherwise unaffordable establishment on Venice's lagoon. Served in the characteristic Bellini glass and made with freshly crushed peaches, we were not disappointed in the drinks or in the frankly decadent grandeur of our setting, the Metropole's "Oriental Bar," where we were further entertained by a Russian businessman and an elderly British couple being condescending toward each other as they debated the various merits of buying an ocean liner so they could, we kid not, sail to Capetown and Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro and Monte Carlo.

We in no way condone splurging unnecessarily on drinks. If at all possible, doing so should be avoided. However, with the right time and place, it is certainly fun to drink a Bellini at the Hotel Metropole.

A more affordable option might be to make your own. It's quite simple. Simply purchase a bottle of prosecco, champagne or similar sparkling wine and a fresh peach or two (depending on the number of guests and/or bellinis required). Mash up the peaches to a fine pulp and pour into the bottom of the glass (champagne flutes seem to be preferred but those who are offended by a simple wine glass shouldn't do this anyway). Pour champagne/prosecco on top. Serve. It's that simple!*

Alternatively, for those whom peach-mashing is too much trouble, it is possible to buy pre-made "Bellini," sold to our knowledge throughout much of Italy as well as in World Market in the U.S. It is an acceptable alternative, provided you are willing to subject your body to so many preservatives.

*You may also add a splash of peach schnapps but it is not really necessary.

Where Have All the White Wines gone?

It's spring time, which means it't time to whip out delicious white wine, summer drinks and the like.

Recently, I had the chance to sample a fruity, new wine to go with all of the lovely springtime weather we've been having in Amstetten.

Called "Welcome," it is from the Winvino line of affordable Austrian wines: Danke (thank you) a Zweigelt, Welcome, the only Veltliner – and, thus, white wine of the bunch -  Zweisam (twosome) a Blaufränkisch/Zweigelt mix, Sternstund (magic moment) which is their cuvee wine…

For €3.59 at the local Penny Markt, Welcome is a delicious, yet inexpensive,  wine choice for the picky, broke consumer.  Sharing the wine aisle with 2-liter plastic bottles of Tafelwein (table wine), this Qualitätswein is sort of a big fish in a small pond…and one of the more expensive wines at the Aldi-esque Austrian market. Aside from the price, this white wine is a crisp, refreshing, with notes of lemon and green apple and went very well with my home-made hummus! 

The best thing about new wines in a typically dry wine is that they are somewhat sweeter (not being given the time to fully ferment) which makes them perfect entertaining wines. But unlike Riesling, Grüner Veltliner is not typically sickeningly sweet, and can thus be enjoyed with lots of things and by lots of people. Grüner Veltliner, unfortunately for those Stateside, is not commonly found outside of Austria - you'll have to do a bit of digging. It has been compared to Moscato (Muskatell)...but I shall not make that claim, as I think Moscato is sweeter.