Skeleton Gruner Veltliner
Wine: Skeleton Gruner Veltliner.
Grape: Gruner veltliner
Region: Burgenland, Austria
Vintage: 2009
Price: $9.99
In the glass: Skeleton Gruner Veltliner is a pale greenish-tinged color with a clean, clear core going out into a faint glass-clear meniscus with medium-high viscosity.
On the nose: There are highly fragrant crushed winter melon notes with underlying citrus rind, pomelo flesh, pear zest and freshly grated zucchini with a chalky note of minerals to round it off.
On the palate: The wine has the trademark forward acidity of gruner veltliner, but shows restraint and balance with the white fruit, which is quite present. There is an abundance of green apples, citrus references and northern gooseberries, which create a lingering presence on the tongue with just a kick of green gummy bears at the end.
Odds and ends: What better wine for Halloween than the Skeleton Gruner Veltliner from Austria, also marking my first review of an Austrian wine in this column. The name aside, this is a seriously good wine for the money, and the fact that you're getting a whole liter of wine doesn't hurt the broken ribs a bit. Don't be scared by the fact that it is packaged in what appears to be a giant green beer bottle, capsule and all, making it all the easier for you to bring along to the party and pop like a common brew. The ideal wine for any amount of fright night candy, I am happy to bring this Skeleton wine out of the closet and recommend it for your Halloween party. Try it before you die
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
