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!

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.