Gruner Veltliner is a little-known wine outside Austria, unless you are a fairly advanced cork dork. That’s too bad, because it is a wonderfully crisp, light, fruity wine that goes with just about anything. It’s also a refreshing quencher for barbecues, picnics, and hot summer nights. One excellent and affordable example is Hirsch “Veltliner #1”, which exemplifies the typically clean, character of Gruner Veltliner, adding an attractive tartness, almost-sweet fruit, and a touch of mineral. A nice extra is that this wine comes with a screw-top, so you can stick it back in the fridge and enjoy it over several days. In fact, I’ve been drinking this particular bottle for over a week, and it has not lost any freshness. Find it for around ten to thirteen bucks. (In the NY-Metro area it’s carried by Michael Skurnik, a very reputable importer with a particularly excellent concentration in Austrian and German wines.)
