By Rick Riozza
In the midst of our desert spring season, we traditionally love to bring the light and showcase one of the most refreshing white wines on the menu which most folks seem to have to be reminded again & again.
Grüner Veltliner is generally pronounced by Americans as GROO-ner VELT-lee-ner. I hear Austrians say it with the more Germanic accented “GREWH-ner FEHLT-lee-ner”. It’s all good, and, we vino lovers simply adore hearing international accents and attempting them—and don’t we begin to sound better the more wine we’re having!
Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s signature white grape that over-delivers at every price point. For instance: the 2022 Bründimayer, is an outstanding Grüner, scoring at 91 points, and selling for only $35; and the wonderful table Grüner, the 2023 Jurtschitsch, scoring at 88 points, sells for $18. Most other Grüners available here in the states fall in between these price points and accompanying prices!
Most people sweep Austrian wines under a sub-heading of German ones. First off, I’m a great German white wine fan—but Austria is not Germany. Although they share a border, a language, and a brotherly love of Riesling, German and Austrian wines are worlds apart. Austria’s drier (i.e., non-sweet) whites are fuller, richer, headier, and bolder in flavor than Germany’s lighter and leaner wines.
Grüner Veltliner from Austria’s best terroirs can rival top white Burgundy in complexity depth, and ageability—at a fraction of the cost, as shown above. And a Grüner can boast an impressive stylistic range: Versions run the gamut from crisp, savory and elegant to smokey, dense and mineral-powered, to rich ripe, and unctuous, and, everything in between.
The classic flavor profile of Grüner is predominately that of citrus, flowers, lemon, lime, minerals, peaches, pears, spices, white pepper, and lentils. Secondary flavors include green apples, almonds, apricots, celery, cucumber, dill, grapefruit, herbs, honey, lychees, mango, melon, and peas. That’s quite a cast—isn’t it!
Most wines are fresh, fruity, with plenty of acidity to enjoy and match well with all meals.
Another reason that I love to annually talk about Grüner is that I get to recommend one of my favorite restaurants in all of our valley: Johannes Restaurant in Palm Springs.
Johannes Bacher is the Owner and Executive Chef of Johannes Restaurant in Palm Springs. Known as “the Eclectic Chef” he was born and raised in Austria; classically trained, he has taken his passion for food world-wide, securing top chef positions. I’ve written on Chef Johannes and his wonderful winemaker dinners numerous times in this column, and, he was my featured epicure in the national Tasting Panel Magazine a few years ago.
Chef Johannes is the artist-type that we like to see in the kitchen. When speaking to a loyal diner, she smiled, “He does a kind-of Southwest Asian fusion”. Another customer said, “Oh–he’s global in his creations.” The New York Times wrote of Johannes’ “modern twist on European classics”.
Receiving accolades from all over the gourmet media map, Johannes assures that everything is prepared fresh daily (indeed—if it’s not fresh, it’s off the menu for that night), his focus is to provide local and sustainable organic products whenever possible. All of this interesting info, photos, menu selections and so much more are on his website. Check it out: www.johannesrestaurants.com.
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending at Johannes Restaurant one of the most impressive winemaker dinners this valley as seen: A six course Austrian-themed dinner featuring Kathryn Hall, the former U.S. Ambassador to—wait for it: Austria!
Already famous for her world-class Kathryn Hall Napa Valley wines, she and Chef Johannes paired specific dishes to her specific wines as the dinner continued for an entire evening. Speaking to us before each course was presented, she entertained us with wine anecdotes and comments on her illustrious career. We all had a marvelous time; and, Chef Johannes will always agree it was a fabulous effort.
Johannes’ wine menu is an actual volume in itself, containing over 300 different wines by the glass, half-bottles, and bottles! It’s one of the most impressive wine lists in the desert. But please, have fun and be adventurous: Try his Austrians!—and what a great time to read this article whilst enjoying one of his Gruners by the glass!
And right now, you can enjoy a wonderful Grüner Veltliner by the glass: the 2023 Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein Reserve Grüner Veltliner Selektion Karlsberg. Now how fun is that to practice your accent! Don’t be scared! All you really have to remember to request is: the Liechtenstein Gruner by the glass. It’s a delicious deal at only $18.
Just the other day I stopped in at the restaurant to taste the new 2023 vintage. Fresh & tasty as ever, it’s a fun and sophisticated quaff: This wine has a lovely medium-straw hue, revealing enticing aromas of ripe pear and quince, complemented by subtle hints of white pepper. On the palate, it offers a medium-bodied, silky texture with balanced acidity and abundant fruit character. It’s an ideal choice for most of the creative dishes on the menu.
Simply stated, the food, wine, service, staff and ambiance provide a truly wonderful dining experience that transcends most others in the desert. Johannes Restaurant, 196 S. Indian Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, Ca. Reservations are only accepted through OpenTable, or by phone at (760) 778-0017).
See you there! Cheers!
