Wine of the Week 11/23/21

Weingut Franz & Christina Netzl Carnuntum Grüner Veltliner 2020

Regularly $14.99/On Sale for $12.96

Carnuntum was once one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, and the presence of Romans means the cultivation of vines.  The modern-day Carnuntum region, located between Vienna and the Slovakian border, accounts for only 2% of the wine made in Austria, but is disproportionally valued for the high quality of its wines.  This excellent reputation was largely established by the wines of the Netzl family winery.  

The chance for small, quality producers in Austria to thrive is, ironically, a product of the Glycol scandal of the 80s, when some of Austria’s largest wine producers were caught adulterating their wines with various chemicals, including some used in anti-freeze.  The Austrian government responded with great speed to this problem, and cleared the way for an attention to detail and care that had never before existed.  This allowed Carnuntum to be recognized as a region of distinction, and it allowed the Netzl family to establish themselves as serious players despite their small size.

When Christina Netzl, daughter of the winery’s founders, returned from her wine studies abroad in 2007, the winery took another leap forward, and began its conversion to completely organic practices.

This Grüner Veltliner is hand-harvested, spontaneously (and slowly!) fermented in stainless steel during the cold winter, then racked in the spring and bottled with a minimum of sulfur.