From: Zöbing, Kamptal, Austria
Varietal: Grüner Veltliner
Tasting Notes: Barbara Ohlzelt's Grüner Veltliner is a lean, racy wine that offers a delightful interplay of flavors and textures. On the palate, it’s both crunchy and crushable, with a vibrant burst of green apple, lime zest, and lemon that immediately captures your attention. The bright acidity is complemented by savory notes of spice and flint, adding layers of complexity. The wine’s minerality shines through, evoking a sea of citrus, minerals, and shells, while floral undertones provide a delicate lift. Effervescent and fresh, the alcohol is perfectly dialed in, making this wine as refreshing as it is refined.
Pairing: For an authentic taste of Kamptal, try it with Wachauer Laberl, a traditional Austrian bread served alongside Backhendl (crispy fried chicken), or Tafelspitz, a classic boiled beef dish. The wine’s freshness and subtle spice make it an excellent match for Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, where its acidity can enhance the delicate flavors of the fish, or with a light Thai green papaya salad, where the citrusy elements of the wine harmonize with the dish’s tangy dressing.
For American fare, this Grüner shines with grilled white fish (try some fish tacos!), where the lime zest in the wine enhances the fresh flavors of the fish. It also pairs wonderfully with a fresh goat cheese salad or a white sauce pizza, the wine’s minerality complementing the tangy creaminess of the cheese and sauce. For something heartier, consider pairing it with roasted chicken with lemon and herbs or a simple yet satisfying seafood pasta.
Grilled Fish With Salsa Verde
By Martha Rose Shulman
About. "Barbara Öhlzelt is turning the region’s paradigm completely on its head. Instead of the unctuous, powerful and masculine wines of the famous large estates, Barbara’s wines emphasize focus and a quiet, simmering intensity. They are fine, clearly delineated, precisely-etched renditions of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling with just as much depth and persistence as the big boys, but on a lighter, more refreshing frame. They really are like the wines of Weiser-Künstler, but translated into the dialect of the Kamptal – loess, granite and sandstone, rather than slate. It should go without saying, but of course the wines are loaded with mouth-watering acidity and the alcohol levels are carefully restrained. Barbara is soft-spoken but intense; the wines are not unlike their shepherd. These are racy, delicate wines of purity and energy, and are exactly what the next chapter in the story of Austrian wine should be.” –Vom Boden Importer
Wine Notes: The Grüner Leader is from a combination of all of Barbara’s Grüner vineyards with an average vine age of 30 years. This includes fruit from some exemplary sites including 1er Cru Heiligenstein (sandstone), Seeburg (slate, sand, clay)
and Kogelberg (granite, shale).
