Domäne Wachau, Wachau (Niederösterreich, Austria) Grüner Veltliner 2019

 Aromas of white peaches spiced with white pepper and sweet almond introduce peachy, pink grapefruit flavors tinged with notes of crisp celery, tightly wrapped citrusy, mineral acidity.  It’s a delightfully fragrant, refreshing wine that will add freshness to a sultry summer day.  Domaine Wachau is a cooperative winery, owned by 250 grower families with about 400 hectares (988 acres) of vines.  Located in the Wachau, one of Austria’s finest wine regions, it is considered one of the great cooperatives in the world.  Unique to this area is a quality classification for dry white wines based upon alcohol levels.  Light and fragrant wines up to 11.5% are called Steinfeder, a native feathery grass.  Federspiel, a term from falconry, connotes the classic category of fuller bodied, dry wines with 11.5–12.5% alcohol.  The best reserve wines with a minimum of 12.5% alcohol are called Smaragd, after a very cute bright green lizard that can be found in the local vineyards on sunny days.