Schödl, Grün Grün Grüner Veltliner, Weinviertel, Austria

 The Shödl family, Mathias, Viktoria, and Leonhard, make extraordinarily complex wines in a region that is Austria's largest wine growing area but has had a less stellar image than some others in Austria.

Weinviertel lies south of the Czech Republic and west of Slovakia, is relatively flat and fertile but what the Shödl family make shows that you should never let your prejudice get in the way of exploration. 

This wine is 100% Grüner Veltliner, Austria's most important and iconic white grape variety, but is made up of numerous different elements. For the most part, grapes were gently crushed and spent 24 hours on skins. After pressing the juice sediments overnight before being transferred to various vessels for fermentation - 300L, 500L barrels, a clay amphora 500L and a concrete egg. But the final blend also has 10% of skin fermented wine (2-3 weeks on skins in acacia barrels). After 10 months elevage it is bottled unfined and unfiltered and with a tiny sulphite addition.

Out in the vineyard the family follow biodynamic principles and they are fond of their growing family of sheep whose grazing in the vines helps to keep the ground cover in check and hence allows them to farm in a no-till fashion for the most part. They make their own compost as well as spray preparations.

The wine is dry but with lots of fruit; grapefruit, lychee, and characteristic touches of white pepper. The skin fermented portion adds texture and lifts the aromatics.

Fantastic to drink with cheese, fermented foods such as choucroute, and with smoked fish or ham.

Producer - Schödl
Country - Austria
Region - Weinviertel
Variety / Blend - Gruner Veltliner
Wine Style - White Wine with Skin Fermented Portion
Farming - Organic/ Biodynamic
Vegan