Austrian wines are good – Grüner Veltliner being the pre-eminent white. All the big super markets have at least one. Why the interest? Global warming may have played a part in making this ‘green’ wine more complex and attractive. Jancis Robinson may have played a part – she attended a blind tasting of Austrian whites which were mixed in with top white burgundies – and 7 of the Austrian whites made the top 10… A recent review I wrote of another Grüner Veltliner has had lots of readers (particularly from Denmark?) so it seems to have wide appeal at the moment.

German retailer Lidl has an interesting, varied selection of wines. It has themed weeks and during ‘Alpine’ week, I had to satisfy my family’s craving for schnitzel, pretzels, currywurst etc, as we had had our ski holiday to Ischgl cancelled. They had this wine reduced from £6.50 to £5.49. It is an utter bargain!

Tasting notes: Medium intensity, pale lemon colour with green reflections. Primary apple and citrus notes. Secondary notes of smoke. No tertiary notes. Balanced acidity; dry. Some length to the finish. Flavours of green apple & citrus notes with a little intensity and complexity.

Region of Origin – Niederosterreich
Wine Colour – white
Price – £6.50 – reduced to £5.49 at the moment
Where do I get it from? Lidl
Current Vintage – 2018
Producer – Lidl
Grape – Grüner Veltliner
Country – Austria

Verdict – Good wine for a very good price.

Food Pairings: We had this with schnitzel & spätzle (pictured below) and it went brilliantly. This would go equally well with fondue or charcuterie.