The Grüner Veltliner has legendary status in the Heuriger and really delivers when yields are reduced.
A DNA examination of Grüner Veltliner has revealed that the grape variety's parents are Traminer and the almost forgotten old variety St. Georgen, of which, by the way, only one vine, over 400 years old, still exists. In Austria, Grüner Veltliner occupies almost a third of the total vineyard area and is particularly widespread in Lower Austria and northern Burgenland.
Veltliner is very similar to Riesling and also impresses with fresh fruit aromas such as apple, peach and citrus. Under conventional management, the grape variety delivers high yields, the vintner sees it with pleasure and thus produces wines for the Heuriger. With strictly reduced yields in first-class sites, however, the grape variety yields complex, highly ripe Prädikat wines with remarkable ageing potential and thus perfectly complements the qualities of a Riesling.
