'Szigeti' Gruner Veltliner, Burgenland, Austria (NV)

This was my first taste of sparkling Gruner Veltliner, courtesy of Bin 36 in downtown Chicago.   This Szigeti's fruit is more cloying than pinot noir, pinot meunier, or chardonnay, but it still works nicely as a sparkling wine.  The low yeast profile makes it especially distinctive, this would pair with white fish and shellfish better than brut Champagne.  $26; 88 points

Comments

[e. kumer]

where can I buy sekt in nYC

[Laurie Tadayon]

It's great to read about someone else enjoying Szegit's Sparkling Gruner Veltliner.

I had an interesting experience the first time I tasted it this past June. I was on a boat in Austria taking a trip across the Neusiedlersee (Lake Neusiedel) for a tasting of Austrian sparkling wines, of which Szigeti's Sparkling GV was one of.

I also thought Szigeti's fruit worked nicely as a sparkling wine. I didn't get to pair it with white fish or shellfish, but rather Sachertorte and coffee :)

The best part of the experience was having one of the Szigeti family members, Peter Szigeti, on the boat with us. He entertained us by opening one of the sparkling wines with a saber, which got a huge applause from all of us.

The boat ride was part of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board's annual wine summit. I'm a wine blogger/social media marketer who's working on a project with them, which is how I had the good fortune of being invited on this trip. I must say that besides enjoying this beautiful country I learned a great deal about the many wines, including the sparkling ones, that a small country like Austria has to offer.

Great to read about others enjoying them as well.

Cheers!