8 Producers You Should Know to Get Into Austrian Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner is the most planted grape in Austria — even more so than Central Europe’s darling Riesling. Austria’s signature white wine brings a range of possibilities, from zippy with notes of lemongrass on the palate to ripe with fuller-bodied qualities of orchard fruit.

The grape may reside in the shadow of varieties more familiar to American drinkers, but Grüner Veltliner’s stateside popularity is growing. And the varietal couldn’t be more attuned to modern drinkers’ tastes: More consumers are looking for light-bodied, cool-climate, high-acidity expressions, also known as “crisp” wines. Grüner, with its gripping acidity and herbaceous, peppery flavors, fits the bill. The wines can smell like fresh-cut grass and taste like the snapping bite of a green apple.

The best way to familiarize yourself with Grüner is by learning about and tasting through the producers that know it best — those from the grape’s homeland who dedicate their businesses to celebrating the variety. Here are eight producers you should know to get into Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

Christian Tschida

Christian Tschida farms his eponymous vineyard and winery in Illmitz, Burgenland. The land has been in the Tschida family since the 1800s, and roughly 12 acres of it are dedicated to grape cultivation. When Tschida took over the winery in 2003, he distanced the producer from the consumer audience his father had previously courted with sweet, Botrytis-driven wines. The younger Tschida prefers light-bodied, fruity wines low in alcohol and has an inclination toward natural winemaking. Ten years later, he doubled down on his low-intervention ethos by instituting sulfur-free farming and vinifying practices. Tschida is known for his meticulous approach to working his limestone-laden fields, a terroir that delivers a refreshing minerality in his wines. For instance, every year he covers his soil in compost, dung, and straw to help it retain its moisture before temperatures tick upward. Now, Tschida boasts a cult following within the natural wine world. Tschida Grüner Veltliners bridge the gap between fresh and ripe, delivering high acidity and bright minerality balanced by notes of orchard fruit.

Nikolaihof

Nikolaihof in Wachau is the oldest existing winery in Austria. The earliest record of winemaking at the site, which Romans first constructed in 63 CE, dates to 470. Now, the winery is run by the Saahs family, which has owned Nikolaihof since 1894. Nikolaus and Christine Saahs took over the business in the 1960s and adopted biodynamic cultivation and vinification practices in 1971. Their son Niki now runs the estate along with his partner Katharina Salzgeber, who manages the cellar. Of Nikolaihof’s 54 acres under cultivation, 35 percent are dedicated to Grüner Veltliner plots. The winery relies on native yeasts for its natural fermentation process, which occurs in Austrian oak vessels, before aging the wines on the lees. The lees aging gives Nikolaihof’s Grüners a cooked-down apple quality, brightened by notes of citrus zest and allium.

Weingut Alzinger

Weingut Alzinger farms in Unterloiben, Wachau, across the street from Weingut Knoll (see below). In the 1930s, the Alzinger family began cultivating grapes on the property for sale to négociants. In 1983, the winery debuted its estate wine under the direction of Leo Alzinger. His son, Leo Alzinger, Jr., took over the estate in the early aughts after having studied the trade in New Zealand and various regions across Austria. Of Alzinger’s 28 acres, 55 percent are dedicated to Grüner Veltliner. The domaine’s plots are terraced vineyards with rocky, loess soils. Alzinger notably harvests its crop later than neighboring vineyards, yielding riper grapes and a fruitier wine. The winery currently offers eight Grüner Veltliner expressions, a portfolio that generally delivers spice and allium on the nose with rich stone fruit on the palate.

Weingut Bernhard Ott

To many Grüner Veltliner fans, Weingut Bernhard Ott is the quintessence of the grape. In 1889, the Ott family began cultivating grapes and producing wine in Wagram, where the family estate remains today. Bernhard Ott took over the estate from his father in 1993, and his ultimate goal was to show how elegant loess-grown Grüner can be. Ott Grüners are now fermented in stainless steel, rather than the oak casks the winery previously used. In 2006, Ott pivoted to biodynamic farming after visiting the prestigious (and biodynamic) Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate. Today, the winery uses traditional machinery like grape mills and basket presses and minimizes the amount of sulfur in its liquid. The result is wines with notes of citrus zest and white pepper with refreshing, balanced acidity.

Weingut Knoll

The Knolls are one of the most well-known winemaking families in Wachau. They began producing wine in the 1950s and debuted their now-iconic label, a depiction of Saint Urban of Langres, in 1962. Weingut Knoll encompasses roughly 40 acres of vineyards on which it grows a range of varietals, though it is best known for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. The estate’s Grüners blend minerality with flavors of citrus and green apple. Weingut Knoll Grüner Veltliner is also known for its remarkable capacity for aging — with their fresh, herbaceous characteristics, Grüners are often consumed young, but Knoll’s develop a rich structure and more powerful flavor with age.

Weingut Jurtschitsch

Alwin and Stefanie Jurtschitsch took the helm of the family’s namesake winery, located in Langenlois, Kamptal, in 2006. Its 130 acres are some of the most coveted grape-cultivating sites in the region. After taking over, the duo scaled down the estate, pivoting its focus from high-yield to small-scale, organic farming. With Jurtschitsch’s many vineyards, the couple aims to showcase the specialties and idiosyncrasies of the different appellations around Kamptal. To do so, the winery implements low-intervention practices like spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts to ensure its wines are as expressive of terroir as possible. Jurtschitsch’s Grüner Veltliners excite the palate with vibrant citrus, fresh minerality, and brisk orchard fruit.

Weingut Nigl

Weingut Nigl is in Krems Valley, Kremstal, where Martin Nigl began his career as a first-generation winemaker in 1985. He isn’t the first in the Nigl family to cultivate grapes, however: For over 200 years, the family had grown and sold grapes to négociants before Nigl urged it to produce estate wine. Nigl, along with his son, farms 62 acres of grapes, 40 percent of which are Grüner Veltliner plots. Nigl’s Grüners offer a full-bodied richness unlike other expressions due to the grape’s elongated ripening period.

Weingut Rudi Pichler

The Pichler family has been cultivating grapes in Wachau since 1731. Rudolph Pichler III became the owner of Weingut Rudi Pichler in 1997 and has since increased its acreage and modernized its facilities. Of the winery’s 91 acres under cultivation, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling together make up 95 percent. After crushing, Pichler lets his Grüners spend some time in contact with skins to further enhance the wine’s terroir. The entire vinification process occurs in stainless steel vats, leading to mineral-driven wines with bright, expressive acidity.

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