Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner as Mr. Rogers

Ok Gruner – what a delightful and usually affordable option. Chardonnay is typically the option thrown out as an excellent “bottle for the table” order, particularly if you’re all eating different things. But I would lump Gruner into this camp as well. It’s usually, in a word, inoffensive and pairs with most things. It is almost always a stand alone grape, not blended with any other varieties. It really holds its own! It’s also the most popular grape in Austria and with a few exceptions (Czech Republic, Hungary), is almost exclusively Austrian. Impress your friends next time by guessing that the Gruner is from Austria – 9 times out of 10, you’ll win and they’ll be none the wiser. And probably not impressed.

Much like how Sauvignon Blanc is famous for green pepper, Gruner is famous for… white pepper. I kid you not! It’s almost always aged in stainless steal or other methods, but very rarely oak. In that sense, Gruner is pretty pure – a representation of the grape and terroir, and less of the winemaker, making it a consistent product. This particular Gruner is lovely – bold, dry, crisp and has a mineral finish. I get a nice lemon zest in this one too, almost like I want to squeeze it over my salmon.

And that’s why this wine as a celeb is Mr. Rogers. I’ll admit I did a search of famous Austrians and I just couldn’t get myself to call this wine Mozart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Freud – did you know he’s Austrian? All of them are too extreme to match this lovely wine. Mr. Rogers was kind, warm, sprightly, and no one ever had a problem with him. And that’s not to say he was boring, simply not polarizing. He treated people with respect and this Gruner has too. Unadulterated, clear, kind, it’s a glass you’ll keep coming back to.

Next time you’re putting out a cheese board, this Gruner will go with goat cheese, hard cheese like pecorino, and mozzarella. And if that board is going out just for you, I support you. I’m having dreams right now of pairing this with Cacio e Pepe. The pepper notes in this wine will make that a dining experience to remember.

I might even walk myself to l’Artusi right now and order some of that off-the-menu Cacio e Pepe. Bon Appetit.