Weingut Wieninger Herrenholz Gruner Veltliner, Vienna, Austria

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Wieninger’s irresistible and excellent value 2007 Gruner Veltliner Herenholz – from the foot of the Bisamberg in the city’s northeastern 21st district – offers flowery, herbal, faintly Sauvignon-like aromas, then displays variety-typical cress and lentil on a refreshing yet glossy-textured palate that is by no means lacking in nuance. A hint of salinity in the finish adds to the fun. Amazingly – perhaps dangerously – this seemingly light and beautifully-balanced wine reveals itself to contain 13% of a controlled substance. You won’t have to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the garden of a Viennese Heurige to enjoy drinking this at home in a wide range of circumstances over the coming year – but you might want to imagine anyway. I did not have a chance to taste in finished form the 2007 Kaasgraben and Nussberg bottlings of Gruner Veltliner. Fritz Wieninger has been the prime dynamo behind whatever over-due recognition the wines of Vienna have garnered over the past decade, and I have been remiss in not visiting with him until last year – too early, unfortunately, to assess certain of the 2007s from his sprawling line-up of cuvees, so the selection below is limited wines that were bottled early, or that I had occasion to revisit. “We are warmer in Vienna than the Wachau or Kamptal,” Wieninger reminded me, “and we can’t wait to harvest our vineyards until November, unless of course we want 15 or 16% alcohol. We need lighter wines, and for that, we have to harvest much earlier – which is unfortunate at times, because aromas are significantly enhanced through later picking, a practice suited to our terroir.” Wieninger seems to have mastered the balancing act that corresponds to this paradox of optimal harvest dates. His lighter wines do not display any unripe flavors.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700