As I roamed the Olympic Peninsula recently craving all manner of fresh bounty from the Puget Sound, it occurred to my friends and me that we might better enjoy our seafood catch if we could round up the appropriate wines.
The task to choose from the broad selection at a well-stocked Port Townsend, Washington, wine shop fell to me. It was a chore I relished. I was in the mood for crisp, refreshing whites that might be ideally suited for fresh oysters, steamed mussels and Dungeness crab.
I knew we had found the right wine merchant when I stumbled across a broader-than-usual selection of Gruner Veltliner, the lean, lip-smacking white wine of Austria. Interest in Gruner has grown phenomenally over the past several years, fueled largely by the expanding culture of wine bars across the United States.
Its appeal is its versatility. Gruner Veltliner is an excellent cocktail or aperitif wine that is low in alcohol (generally about 12 percent) but generous in flavor. With bright citrus aromas and firm acidity, it also makes an excellent accompaniment to shellfish and tapas (small bites often served at wine bars). For the most part Gruners are stainless-steel-tank fermented and never see the inside of a wooden cask, so they are very clean on the nose as well as the palate.
I chose four different Gruners ranging in price from $17 to $19. All four met my expectations, though I certainly had my preferences. Tops, in my opinion, was the 2005 Nigl, which had an intriguing spiciness and outstanding minerality. It also had the benefit of being the lowest in alcohol at 11.5 percent. I could have drunk it all day!
I also found an organic wine, the 2005 Soellner Gruner Veltliner, very interesting in a different sort of way. Stylistically it was more voluptuous and fleshy on the palate, slightly riper, and showing aromas of tropical fruit. Perfect for crab or steamed mussels in a curry sauce.
A 2005 Leth Gruner Veltliner and a 2006 Huber Gruner Veltliner showed nicely, too, despite my slight tilt in the direction of the other wines. I’d be happy to have any or all of them on my table the next time I’m entertaining a crowd with a shellfish feast.
My new favorite wine merchant’s selection of Albarino was less impressive, but I made off a lovely 2006 Laxas and a 2004 Valminor that was beginning to oxidize, though the oxidation blew off once the wine got a bit of air.
Albarino, from the Rias Baixas region in the northwest corner of Spain, has made substantial inroads in the United States over the past decade and is similar in many ways to Gruner Veltliner in that both are high-acid whites that marry nicely with shellfish.
When visiting the region, my favorite dining adventures involve diving into piles of steamed clams and washing them down with a crisp Albarino – or two. The Valminor had lost a bit of its edge in that regard, but still retained exotic citrus fruit and floral aromas and excellent length in the mouth.
The Laxas, however, was classic Albarino, with crisp acidity and a strong whiff of fresh lime and intense minerality.
My most expensive purchase on this wine buying excursion was a 2005 Jermann Pinot Grigio from Italy’s Venezia Giluia region. Jermann is one of my favorite producers from this part of Italy and renowned for its white wines. This Pinot Grigio coast me nearly $30, but it was impressive, showing a finely textured palate (probably from extended lees aging and perhaps a bit of time in barrel), good length and a spicy note that added character and complexity.
Much like the Soellner Gruner Veltliner, the Jermann Pinot Grigio was a perfect fit for sweet crab meat and curried mussels.
My least interesting purchase also was my least expensive, but at $8 the Chateau de la Cantrie Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie was a superb inexpensive quaffer that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again for a beach-side clambake. It paled in comparison only to the more complex (and twice as expensive) wines I had purchased.
Of course, there are any number of other wine types I could have selected with equal satisfaction, given the menu of the day. Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre, Pinot Gris, certain styles of Chardonnay (preferably those that are a bit leaner and on the lemony side of the flavor spectrum) would have done the trick.
But, hey, there’s always another day and another feast.
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