Making our way halfway through the Whole Foods Top 10 Summer Wine List, I’ve been pleased by what I’ve tasted thus far. As I mentioned in my last post, I enjoyed the Holiday Top 10 wine list better, but I think that’s mostly because I’m more of a red wine fan than a white wine fan. That said, I always like to know about good white wines, particularly for when we have guests over, and there are always some nice surprises when I dig in. The two wines for today are the Biokult Grüner Veltliner and the Manifesto! Sauvignon Blanc.
Biokult Grüner Veltliner I really like Grüner Veltliner, or Austria’s indigenous grape varietal. The first one I tried I also picked up at Whole Foods - the Bio-Weingut H.U.M. Hofer Grüner Veltliner Trocken - and, to be honest, the only reason I did was because it came in a 1-liter green bottle, sealed with a beer cap and looking strikingly like a big Heineken (and some people say marketing doesn’t work…). The two wines are similar in that they’re both crisp and thirst quenching, but I found the Biokult a bit more complex and interesting.
On the nose, it’s grassy and floral, with a hint of ginger and lemon zest (what am I, making a summer salad here?). The interesting thing here is that it completely changes its fruits in the mouth, where peach and bitter grapefruit seed / pith dominate. Doesn’t sound like a great combo, but they all come together, with a bit of cedar, to create the crispness I’ve come to expect from a Grüner Veltliner. It also appears to be showing up more and more on restaurant menus, so the Austrians are clearly on to something here.
What Whole Foods has to say: Austria’s “Gru-Vee” White is a groovy delight with a light zesty flavor and hints of cracked pepper and prairie grass. Clean acidity and a soft seductive finish make this an enchanting apéritif or versatile sidekick for spicy dishes, grilled seafood, burgers, pizza or Whole Foods Market® Organic Fresh Goat Cheese.
What you should do: Buy it. Definitely worth exploring Grüner Veltliner as a varietal and this is a decent one to start with.
My rating: 87
Manifesto! Sauvignon BlancLately, I’ve been migrating away from most American Sauvignon Blancs – have just found too many that I think are over-oaked and not that interesting. As a substitute, I’ve been going for what I consider the more “pure” version of Sauvignon Blanc in the Sancerres of France. More crisp, less oakey and better flavors in the Sancerre than in the Sauvignon Blanc (at least for my palate) and the Manifesto SB did not change any of that for me.
It had a nice nose of meyer lemon, grass and white pepper, but then the oak hit and hit hard. Grapefruit again ruled the day as I took a sip, first the sweetness of a ripe ruby fruit, then the sour, bitter taste of the pith – like the Biokult, but not nearly as well balanced.
Overall, not my favorite, but, then again, my disclaimer at the outset was that I’m not much of an SB fan, so take this for what it’s worth. What I do like is that the winery donates a portion of its proceeds to charities like worker housing and Latino education in Napa as well as clean drinking water efforts. That in itself may be worth picking up a bottle.
What Whole Foods has to say: The ideal sip for a sunny picnic, this frisky White coats your palate with ripe lemon, gooseberry, grapefruit and orange peel. A smooth texture and food-friendly acidity makes it a harmonious companion for grilled foods, seafood or oysters.
What you should do: SB fan? Buy it. What’s the worst that could happen, you add a few pennies to the charitable efforts of the winery? If you’re like me, however, pick up a Sancerre on your next trip to Whole Foods – more expensive, but definitely worth a try. And, while you're there donate to whatever cause they have going at the time.
My rating: 83
If you’ve had either of these, let me know what you think.
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