Dr. Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltliner 2015
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Wilfred
Wong
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Pair with sushi, asparagus, cured salmon with dill, fennel or turmeric dishes.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
For decades, sommeliers, and wine geeks have lauded Austrian Grüner Veltliner as the next "big thing" in white wines. Unfortunately, those wines struggled in the general marketplace—they did gain some traction in avant-garde and restaurants with specialized wine lists. Those wines, while quite delicious, may have been too far out of the reach of less developed wine drinkers. The 2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Grüner Veltliner is excellent alternative and has what Americans may want in this grape variety. This wine— clean, well-balanced, and generously textured—shows savory herbs, dried citrus, and a dry finish. Drink now, and pair with Asian fusion and moderately spiced seafood dishes. (Tasted: November 16, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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2021-
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Robert
Parker
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Wine &
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Dr. Frank’s Wine Cellars is proud of its international winemaking team with each member bringing in their particular expertise. The talented group includes winemakers from California, Australia, France and Germany. The focus on world class wines continues with each generation of the family, each member living up to the Frank Family tradition of excellence.
Fun to say and delightfully easy to drink, Grüner Veltliner calls Austria its homeland. While some easily quaffable Grüners come in a one-liter—a convenient size—many high caliber single vineyard bottlings can benefit from cellar aging. Somm Secret—About 75% of the world’s Grüner Veltliner comes from Austria but the variety is gaining ground in other countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States.
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.