Description

Fritz Wieninger is the leading wine producer in the city of Vienna and is a champion of Gemischter Satz (Geh-mish-ter Sah-ts), a traditional field blend popular in Austria’s heurigen (wine taverns). Fritz was early to focus on quality a helped to establish the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC. He is a member of Österreichische Traditionsweingüter and respekt-BIODYN.

Most of Vienna’s vineyards are in the 19th and 21st of the city’s 23 districts on opposite sides of the Danube river. The Bisamberg area sits in the 21st district and is the source of many of Fritz’s wines as well as the home to his family’s heurige. On the opposite side of the Danube lies the Nußberg, an impressive hill that soars above downtown Vienna.

Grüner Veltliner Vienna Hills is from Bisamberg (65%) with light, sandy loess soil and the Nußberg (35%) with weathered shell-limestone. The grapes were picked by hand and sorted at the winery before a brief maceration on the skins and spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine spends five months on the fine lees before bottling.

Tasting Notes

Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Young Grüner Veltliner is fresh-tasting with notes of green apple, lemon, radish, and arugula. Lighter styles of Grüner Veltliner are intended for immediate drinking, while more structured examples can age for many years.

Food Pairing

Grüner Veltliner’s bright acidity and savory character make it an ideal partner to mildly spiced Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese dishes. Fish and shellfish are accented by Grüner Veltliner’s citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It can also work well with foods that are difficult to pair such as bitter greens and asparagus.