2023 Winzer Krems Ried Goldberg Kellermeister Privat Grüner Veltliner from Kremstal
Background on the Grape
“Kellermeister Privat” is a series of wines produced by Winzer Krems, a winery in Austria specifically within the Kremstal region. Kremstal being in the northeastern portion of Austria.
Their wines are known for quality and authentic representation of the Kremstal DAC (Districtus Austriae Constrollatus). Both white and red wines are grown in the area with Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt being the two primary grape varietals.
Map from Austrian Wine www.austrianwine.com
It is a very small region in fact the smallest wine area in Austria with only 2250 hectares of grapes accounting for 5% of Austrian wine production. That is roughly 5,559 acres in US measurements. White wines represent 85% of their production and 15% red wines. Grüner Veltliner accounts for 59% of the regions grape production.
Picture from Austrian Wine www.austrianwine.com
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A classic Gruner Veltliner is a white wine known for its bright acidity, citrus notes and stone fruit flavors. This hits the bullseye! First on the eyes a mild yellow with a slight green tint. On the nose grapefruit, peach and lemon zest were dominant wafting into the senses with floral overtones. White pepper while present took a reserved position. On the palate, peach, green apple and a slight green bean quality with distinct minerality on the finish. A refreshing and medium body were evident with vibrancy and freshness.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen tonight to go with a chicken stir-fry dish with ginger, soy sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic combined with broccoli, sliced white mushrooms and served over a bed of white rice. The choice of wine was to counterbalance the aromatic spices in the dish. Also, the acidity in the wine helped cleanse the palate between bites preventing the food flavors from being overwhelming. The versatility of Gruner Veltliner is great for various stir-fry dishes. A consideration was given to Pinot Noir, but with the temperature being in triple digits, went with the Grüner Veltliner and it was a very good choice.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly