The flagship grape of Austria, Grüner Veltliner is a natural cross of Traminer and St. Georgen. Grüner accounts for almost 30% of all grapes planted with around 13,500 hectares under vine in the country. The Austrian native has become an international sensation amongst sommeliers worldwide as the perfect food wine due to its high acidity. In Austria it is prized for the easy drinking wine it produces but can also wow the palate with complexity in the right winemaker’s hands. The typical flavor profile is often described as displaying elements of green apple with an unmistakable white pepper spiciness.
The Göttweiger Messwein, or Altar wine, has been an institution in this Benedictine monastery for centuries. Grüner Veltliner is vinified as a light, dry wine. From the nature-friendly cultivation of the vineyards to the care and processing of the grapes and wine, the “Reinheitsgebot”, or purity law, of the church must be obeyed. Messwein cannot be produced without the permission of the bishop, and it must be only natural and unaltered.