Twenty years after the Austrian Wine Scandal, a grape helps a country re-assert itself...

Artificial sweeteners come in blue, pink, and now yellow packets. In 1985, however, they also came in the form of diethylene glycol, and a handful of winemakers in Austria resorted to using this popular anti-freeze agent to sweeten up their low-end wines. In Italy, where a far more dangerous ethylene glycol was used for the same purpose, almost two-dozen people died as a result of the practice. None did in Austria, but the damage was already done. Without Italy's tourism industry machinery to prop it back up, Austria's wine export market all but disappeared.

A silver lining was to be found, however, because regulations regarding production and quality in Austria are now the strictest on the continent. The damage has been controlled and then some. Nowadays, the restaurant or wine shop that does not have an Austrian wine or two available is clearly missing out.

The argument can be made that the best grape grown in Austria is Riesling. That's as may be, but arguments are much more fun when they aren't so easy or obvious. No, I say the most intriguing grape in Austria is its most widely grown one – Grüner Veltliner. Although found in Czechoslovakia as well, it is widely considered a uniquely Austrian grape. Its appeal is clear – dry, peppery, a touch spicy with perhaps flavors of honey and citrus. Although it is found all over Austria, the loess and loam soils of Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal seem to be its happiest home. In fact, I have tasted some older bottles from these regions and find that Grüner Veltliner ages beautifully.

Let's get back to the regulations for just a minute. A new system for classifying the sugar levels was developed. Not willing to borrow the German Ochsle or French Beaume systems, Austria came up with its very own: Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (KMV). Mostwaage simply means 'must scale' and that is the basis for the measurement. (To give you an idea of the scale, a 17.1 KMZ would be 84 Ochsle and 11.2 Beaume.)
A good introduction to Gru Vees would be a nice Federspiel (minimum 17 KMW and no more that 11.9 percent alcohol) from any of the three regions mentioned above. I recommend the Domaine Wachau 'Terrassen', which is what I pour by the glass here at Aujourd'hui. If you are inclined to fuller flavors and rounder bodies, a Smaragd has a minimum of 18 KMW and must have at least 12 percent alcohol. A fine example of a Smaragd is the Prager 'Weitenberg'.

Gru Vees shine at their brightest when it comes to food pairing. Notoriously problematic vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes are quite compatible with the balanced fruit, acidity and spiciness of the wine. In addition, since it is clear that Gru Vee has a decided Alsatian quality to it, try it with spicier Asian foods and you will see how a wine doesn’t need to be huge to match bold flavors – it simply needs to be focused, and focus is a by-product of balance.

I try to avoid the 'T word' like the plague, but one positive trend in the world of wine today is the recognition of the marvelous grape called Gruner Veltliner.