Austria's Grüner Veltliner & Zweigelt

Austria's Grüner Veltliner 

& Zweigelt!

Not to be confused with Australia! 

It hasn't been a g'day for the Aussies in the wine biz lately. With the glut of juice available at wineries and consumers that seem to be stuck on cheap, grocery store-quality plonk it seems many of the top Australian winemakers seem to be having a tough time working through what I call the Yellow Tail Effect. It's no wonder that here at FranksWine we're cutting our Australian wine section in half and discounting all Aussie Whites 33% and all Aussie Reds 22%... we're in our Final Week!

More on that later... let's talk about Europe's Austrian wines! Without of doubt these are some of the most food-friendly wines in the shop. Bright fruit, balanced minerality, fresh, crisp, racy and lean is how I like to describe Austrian wines. 

At last week's Frank's Summer Tasting at Caffé Gelato in Newark we offered up 38 selections from various wine regions of the world... of those the wines of AustriaROCKED THE HOUSE! Scott Biggs and Klauss Wittauer of Select Austrian Wines poured their lineup and our 75 guests kept going back for more.

The 2 top selling wines of the night were from the same winery in Austria - Anton Bauer...that type of market research tells me one thing: FranksWine CLUBVino selections for August are set!

Scott Biggs will be in the shop on Saturday from 11am to 3pm pouring this pair of gru-v wines as well as a few others from Austria... If you can't make it in to taste I've put together the FranksWine Gru-V 12pack Sampler Case at a great discount that I can get to you!

The FranksWine Gru-V 12pack Sampler Case!

You Get 6 Bottles of Each Wine for Only $129.99!!

You Save $61.89... That's 33% Off!!!

Anton Bauer 2011 Grüner Veltliner

Regularly Priced at $14.99

$9.99 with 12-pack Sampler Purchase!

Anton first introduced this single-vineyard Gmörk Gruner to celebrate the latest round of upgrades to the winery. Although Grüner Veltliner has been grown in what is now Austria since Roman times, the grape has only become well-known in the past 25 years. While Grüner can be made in a wide range of styles - from crisp, simple, quaffing wines to creamy, oak-aged, versions that resemble fine white Burgundy - it should always deliver a mouthful of ripe orchard fruits, floral notes, and at least a little touch of spiceresembling white pepper. 

The 2011 Gmörk succeeds admirably! Delicate aromas of wet limestone, apple skin and white flowers emerge from the glass. In the mouth, the wine bursts with gravelly apple and green peach fruit, loads of citrusy acidity and sweet white flowers. A touch of white pepper emerges on the long, juicy, finish. A great wine to enjoy on its own or with seafood, salads, and lighter fare. Just delicious!

The FranksWine Gru-V 12pack Sampler Case!

You Get 6 Bottles of Each Wine for Only $129.99!!

You Save $61.89... That's 33% Off!!!

Anton Bauer 2010 Zweigelt

Regularly Priced at $16.99 

$11.39 with 12-pack Sampler Purchase!

Zweigelt just don't get no respect. True, this is hardly a grape of ancient heritage - it was "invented" in Austria in 1922 by crossing the not-so-famous Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent varieties. But, on the right sites and in the right hands, Zweigelt produces a tremendously delicious and useful wine. Think slightly more weight than red Burgundy with a flavor profile somewhere between Malbec and Zinfandel. In other words, a wine that's just perfect for drinking on its own or with a wide range of weeknight meals.

Anton Bauer's take on Zweigelt is just classic. The wine is bursting with crunchy black cherry fruit complicated by notes of mocha and peppery spice. Local importer Klaus Wittauer always buys Anton's Spring bottling of this grape to get the maximum amount of juicy fruit in every bottle. This struck me as a cross between a delicious young red Bourgogne and a more robust Rhone red. Pizza, burgers, grilled chicken, salmon - goes with just about anything!

The FranksWine Gru-V 12pack Sampler Case!

You Get 6 Bottles of Each Wine for Only $129.99!!

You Save $61.89... That's 33% Off!!!