This is a light, elegant white that hints more of lightly spiced apple blossoms than ripened fruit. It’s nicely balanced by zippy citrus notes, mellow grapefruit flavors, and minerality. Quite dry and tasty, this is a varietal that’s easy sipping and food friendly. It’s perfect for lightly spiced Asian food from curries and stir-fried fish or poultry to sushi and pho. One of five brands owned by the Niven family in Edna Valley, Gruner Veltliner is grown in their famous Paragon Vineyard and made by their French winemaking veteran, Christian Roguenant. Zocker is the Austrian word for gambler, chosen because the Nivens believe this is their riskiest venture yet since it’s made up of varietals that are anything but the norm.
This article appears in Oct 6-13, 2011.