When you think of Austria, what comes to mind? Beautiful mountains and
picturesque valleys? Strauss waltzes? Wienerschnitzel? Mozart? Pastries? (what
we call “Danish” are known in Denmark as weinerbrød – “Vienna bread”) Maria and the Von Trapp kids singing “Do-Re-Mi”? The pristine white stallions of Vienna’s Spanish Riding School performing their “airs above the ground” leaps and ballet-esque movements?
How about wine? If not, then you might want to add it to the list, because
Austria produces some of the finest, most food-friendly wines in the world.
Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s best known, best loved wine, made from grapes of the same name. (Most new
world wines — those from America, South America, Australia, etc., are labeled by their
predominant or sole grape variety as in Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Zinfandel, etc. European wine labels often refer to a region rather to a grape
variety, such as Chianti, Burgundy, Champagne, etc., even though each region
usually utilizes a specific grape variety, varieties, or blend.)
The name Grüner Veltliner can be a mouthful for those unacquainted with the German language,
and in the U.S. is often referred to as Grü-V (groovy). Until fairly recently it was almost unknown in the U.S., but is
becoming increasingly popular here. In the book What to Drink With What You Eat, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, top American sommeliers offer advice and
opinions about food and drinks, ranging from wine and beer to coffee and other
non-alcoholic beverages. They’re enthusiastic about Grü-V: “When in doubt, get Grüner Veltliner and you’ll be OK,” says one. Others comment, “Chefs that care about food and like wine like Grüner Veltliner and will recommend it.”; and “Once you get people to taste it, they find they love it!”
Getting people to taste it is indeed the key. “It’s a hard sell,” says the Corkscrew’s Michael DeBeaulieu, meaning that it’s a wine that folks need to have described before they buy. DeBeaulieu says that
many people have the misconception that all German or Germanic wines are
cloyingly sweet and have little depth of flavor. Nothing could be further from
cloyingly sweet that Grü-V. “It’s a racy dry white with pinpoint precision and jazzy acidity that has great
finesse,” says DeBeaulieu. “It awakens the palate.” Not that all Grü-Vs are exactly alike. There are entry-level (usually inexpensive) light-bodied
versions, and others with richness and a long finish. But all have a high acid
content, giving Grü-V a much longer shelf life than many whites — it can drink well for as long as 10 to 20 years, all the while developing
flavor and golden hues.
“Made for food pairing” and “food-friendly” are phrases often heard in connection with Grü-V. And indeed it is. It’s one of the few (some say the only) wines that pair well with asparagus and
artichokes, two of the most notoriously difficult foods to match with wine. It’s great with spicy ethnic cuisines, seafood, chicken — in fact, almost everything, although it wouldn’t be my first choice with, say, a grilled steak, braised lamb shanks, or beef
stew. But I’d happily drink it with barbequed ribs or chicken.
Grüner Veltliner predominates, but Austria has other smaller production wines as
well, including two notable reds, Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch. Both are as food
friendly as Grü-V, with “gentle notes of cherry and pepper” according to DeBeaulieu. They’re best served slightly cool and are as versatile as their white compatriot. The
Corkscrew is so enthusiastic about Austrian wines that they devote an entire
row to them.
Austria doesn’t just have wonderful wines, it has a unique wine tradition as well. Heurige are small vineyards (many within Vienna’s city limits) that display a wreath of straw or evergreens each spring and
summer to announce that their new wine is ready for drinking (wine made from
grapes harvested the previous fall). The custom originated as a means to avoid
taxes; only bottled wine was taxed, so the more wine the vintners could sell
straight from the cask, the less taxes they paid. Today Austrians and tourists
alike still flock to vineyards where rustic tables are set out among the vines
and gardens and everyone congregates to enjoy the wine, special foods (often
including Liptauer cheese) and gemütlichkeit, an ephemeral term that loosely translates as a social comfortable
ambience where everyone is welcome.
I don’t remember when or how I stumbled upon Grü-V in America — perhaps because the label Glatzer, one of the major producers, caught my eye,
perhaps because of memories of the Heuriges from my student days. Regardless,
my husband and I enjoy Grü-V and other Austrian wines throughout the year, especially in summer.
Give Grüner Veltliner and other Austrian wines a try. I’ll bet you find them, as I do, truly groovy!
Contact Julianne Glatz at realcuisine.jg@gmail.com.
Austrian cuisine is a rich amalgamation of its native culinary heritage as well
as influences from countries that were a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Touches of the Middle East can be found — not surprising, since the empire had its beginning with the defeat of the
Ottoman Turks in the 1683 Battle of Vienna. Austria’s ruling dynasty, the Hapsburgs, then began conquering many Central and East
European countries the Ottomans had controlled for centuries. The
Austro-Hungarian Empire extended over much of Central and Eastern Europe until
the assassination of the Hapsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World
War I and, ultimately, the end of the empire. Wealthy and aristocratic Viennese
enjoyed food as elaborate and sophisticated as any in the world, including
France’s — especially those pastries.
Liptauer has influences from Hungary (paprika) and the Mediterranean/Middle East
(capers). It’s a staple in many Viennese Heurige, but also perfect for American cookouts of grilled bratwurst and sausages.
Making Liptauer takes only minutes to make and it can be served in a bowl or
mounded on a plate. For a gorgeous presentation worthy of those sophisticated
Viennese of yesteryear, try the method below. I don’t normally use dried chives — in fact, this is the only dish in which I use them — but here they make the garnishing easy.
LIPTAUER CHEESE
2 C. cream cheese or fresh goat cheese or a combination, softened
2 T. prepared mustard such as Düsseldorf, Dijon, or whole grain
(Do not use “ballpark” type mustard)
2 T. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 T. drained and finely minced capers
1 tsp. ground caraway seed, optional
Optional garnish
Sweet Hungarian paprika
Freeze-dried chives
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve with thinly sliced dark pumpernickel
(such as cocktail pumpernickel.) It’s best to let it stand for at least an hour (overnight is even better) for the
flavors to meld.
For an especially attractive presentation:
Put the cheese on a small serving platter and mound into a round dome. Stick
pieces of waxed or parchment paper around the bottom to facilitate cleanup.
Lightly score the mound into 6 sections. Put the chives on a small plate or in
a bowl. Moisten your (clean) index finger with water and blot it on a towel.
Gently put the tip of your index finger into the chives. Gently press the
chives that adhere to your finger onto the top of the mound. Repeat to make a
small circle at the tip of the mound, then follow the scored lines down the
sides, flaring the chives a little as you go downwards. Finish by pressing
chives into an inch-deep border around the bottom. Now take the tip of a sharp
knife and pick up a little paprika. Carefully sprinkle the paprika over the
areas covered by the chives.
Liptauer can also be served on cucumber slices, spread on thinly sliced ham
rolled up and sliced into pinwheels, or as a topping or stuffing for pork
chops.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2009.
