Meinklang Grüner Veltliner and fish in citrus oils

Meinklang grower/winemaker Angela Michlits


The first time I read about Austria’s Grüner Veltliner, it meant nothing to me as a white wine grape. I did, however, think it might make a good name for German punk rock group; banging out something like I Will Survive in German, two beats behind a messed-up ska, but in half the time it might take Robert Plant to clear his throat.

Of course, that was around 1980.  It would be another ten years before I tasted my first Grüner Veltliner, and I think another ten before I could successfully convince my restaurant staffs that it was worth suggesting.



Ah, but time the avenger, to quote Chrissie Hynde, and today a restaurant ain’t got that swing unless it’s serving at least one good Grüner by the glass. Why? Because as we wine lovers get that thang called sophistication we realize that wines with a real edge (and few wines are as crazy tart and expressive as Austrian Grüner) are a lot more interesting than soft, fluffy, predictable wines, especially with the souped up, zesty, multi-culture influenced foods we’ve become increasingly accustomed to.

Put it this way: If you enjoy a white wine that combines bone dryness, a fullness without a faux (i.e. oak barreled) heaviness, an electrifying acidity, and soaring, exotic perfumes at times suggestive of lemon, lime, flint, chalk or grapefruit, and other times of wild honey, pineapple, sweet/green English peas and getting your nose stuck at the bottom of a pepper grinder… then Grüner Veltliner is for you. Maybe this grape is a punk, after all.




There are many fun, exciting, democratically priced brands of Grüner Veltliner in the market, but since this is an organic column I’m going to recommend the biodynamically grown 2007 Meinklang Grüner Veltliner (about $16), which Angela and Werner Michlits vinify completely unblemished by oak, resulting in pretty much a quintessence of the grape: fresh squeezed lemon, lime and pepper in the nose, with a fluid, flinty minerality that starts behind the aroma and continues on a light, breezy palate-feel, merging with the citrusy, spiced fruit to give a lightly tart, refreshing finish.

Tart edged whites are always good for raw oysters or foods as pedestrian as clam stew or pan fried halibut; but where Grüner Veltliner really shines is with white meats (from fish filets to chicken) or vegetables (especially snap peas and asparagus) in well heeled, infused vinaigrettes. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a master at that, and here’s one of his recipes for Lemon Verbena Oil (lemon grass may be substituted) designed for steamed vegetables and sautéed fish. A Pacific Rim counterpart to Vongerichten is Roy Yamaguchi, whose classic Citrus Ponzu Sauce binds grilled (or oven broiled) salmon and Grüner Veltliner as if those components were made for each other.  

Crazy good!


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