The grape that put Austria on the wine map. In some ways it is similar to Riesling. Gruner Veltliner produces very refreshing, tangy wines with green apple and citrus flavours. However, Gruner is almost always dry and it has a spicy quality that some describe as white pepper, dill, even turnip character. The wines are clean, fresh and quite full bodied. The wine gained popularity in the 1990’s when some New York sommeliers began calling it “”Groovy”” so their clients would feel comfortable ordering it. Now it is a staple on virtually every restaurant wine list, presumably because it is so food friendly.