Dr. Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltliner 2011 750ml

Winery: Dr. Konstantin Frank

Varietal: Gruner Veltliner

The highly versatile Gruner Veltliner varietal grapes have been grown for many centuries in central and eastern European countries, and are still widely drunk and celebrated around Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Whilst they are not seen much elsewhere around the world, in recent years they have been cultivated in certain parts of the United States and in a few other New World countries. These pale skinned grapes grow most successfully in cooler climates, and are popular with wineries due to the fact that they are relatively hardy and resistant to disease. Gruner Veltliner grapes are also much appreciated for the fact that they hold some unique flavors which come about because they express their terroir very well, and are often most commonly associated with flavors of citrus fruits, peaches and peppery, tobacco notes.

Region: New York

For over four hundred years, New York state has been consistently producing many of the United States finest wines, making the most of the oceanic climate and cool winds which blow over the many vineyards which surround the city. Indeed, certain wineries within the state boast an impressive heritage, with more than one dating back to the 18th century. The state itself has four key wine regions - Lake Erie AVA, Finger Lakes AVA, Hudson River and Long Island, and also features hundreds of smallholdings producing wines of a unique character made using more traditional methods. A wide variety of fine grape varietals are grown across the state, from esteemed old world grapes such as Riesling and Pinot Noir, to an expansive array of New World hybrid grapes which make the wines of this region so unique.

Country: United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.