WORDS BY JOE GURBA
Rare Wine Report Many Albertans outside of the drinks’ business don’t realize how good we have it here for wine selection. We live in one of the best wine markets in the world. Every week we see a new wave of lovely and limited wines appear in our shops, however briefly, until those in the know snap them up. For this patio focused issue of Modern Luxuria, we have turned our attention to an Austrian grape variety that deserves more shine than it gets, as a brilliant wine to pair with vitamin D: Grüner Veltliner. This peppery, bright, versatile variety is the handy standby of the world’s best sommeliers and the next-big-thing for everyday wine drinkers to finally discover in full. Here we do our little part to highlight just a few of the incredible examples available in Alberta, presented in three very different styles: the hyper-traditional, the radically inventive, and some pristine bubbles. Prost!
Markus Huber is the leading winemaker in Austria’s Traisental DAC, a tiny appellation southwest of Vienna, sprawled across the postcard foothills that tumble out from the towering Alps. The loess and limestone soils here combine with the cooling mountain winds and continental altitude to create the ideal conditions for growing sparkling wine. This region sees a long, cool ripening period every fall that intensifies phenolic complexity while keeping acid levels high and sugar levels reasonably low. That’s Bubbles 101. The Traisental's wunderkind is Herr Huber himself, winner of 2015’s “Falstaff Winemaker of the Year,” the Oscar of the Austrian wine industry! He’s also taken home best white wine producer at the International Wine Trade Fair, and earned best Grüner Veltliner producer at the IWC in London. In short, he’s a comet! Markus is a 10th generation grower, sure, but having inherited only four hectares, this winery is truly his baby now. He’s grown the property to fifty hectares and now boasts vines in a number of erste lages, Austria’s equivalent of premier cru sites. As is a méthode champenoise bubbly made from hand picked, fruit pressed whole-bunch, made with only the free-run juice, and sees 12 months in the bottle resting on the lees. Its effervescence tickles the nose with aromas of anjou pear, quince, and flaky croissant. Grüner’s signature white peppercorn note comes through more like fresh cut hay, joining the orchard’s fruit profile to mimic a meadow of wildflowers. Something about this aroma is calmingly redolent of unfurling fresh linens over your bed with the windows wide open after spring cleaning. There is a lingering savoury finish that begs for some chevre spread over a fresh baguette or a sushi & sashimi picnic. In the warmth of May, a bubbly like this cannot disappoint.
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