Tasting Notes

Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Federspiel from the Wachau is a medium-weight wine and is fresh in style with notes of green apple, lemon, radish, and arugula.

Food Pairing

Grüner Veltliner’s bright acidity and savory character make it an ideal partner to mildly spiced Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese flavors. Fish and shellfish are accented by Grüner Veltliner’s citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It can also work well with foods that are difficult to pair such as bitter greens and asparagus.

Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.

Weingut Rudi Pichler consists of 37 acres spread between Wösendorf, Joching, and Weißenkirchen where south-facing terraces look down at the Danube River. Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Grüner Veltliner Federspiel comes from vineyards on the valley floor, hillsides, and upper terraces. The term Federspiel is used by members of the Vinea Wachau indicating a dry wine between 11.5 and 12.5% alcohol.