Brian elliott Best Buys 2013 Yalumba Organic Shiraz ‘these vines really flourish South Australia, 13.6 per cent in the area around Wachau This is Yalumba’s first organic wine even though they have been growing on the banks of the danube’ grapes here since 1849. organic ventures can be variable, but i was impressed by the substance and intensity of this red and the way it captures the classic aromatic, bramble and cinnamon shiraz components and embellishes them with NTEREST in Austrian wines has lively acidity and neat vanilla touches but surged in recent years. Entry into limited tannin. the Economic Community 20 years £7.49 – instead of £9.99 – until 12 May at ago will have helped investment Waitrose there, but the biggest single cause is almost certainly the meteoric rise 2012 Finest Saint Mont iin popularity of the country’s delicate, South Western France, 12 per cent food-friendly signature grape – Grüner This region is an absolute joy, capable of Food & drink & Food Veltliner. amazing you with the unexpected and Gru-vee, as Americans predictably unorthodox, yet still doing the entry-point call it, produces crisp and aromatic “day job” well. Here is a good example white wine with flinty, green pepper of the latter with flavours and invigorating acidity, but firm, lemon-based also a certain richness of texture. Its KellerMeiSter Christof Höpler, whose winery has been exporting to Scotland for more than 15 years acidity and green vines really flourish in the area around apple crispness Wachau on the banks of the Danube Veltliner Niederösterreich (£7.99 at the outstanding Höpler Winery at yet an attractive some 40 or so miles upstream from Waitrose stores and online) will also give Breitenbrunn has been exporting undercurrent Vienna. Indeed, it is to one of Wachau’s you fresh, green apple elements. Here, superb Grüner Veltliner to Scotland of peach- adjacent areas – Kamptal – that we go though, they are supplemented by spicy for more than 15 years. Its 2013 Grüner centred for a reasonably priced supermarket depth and a discernibly mineral edge. Veltliner Höpler, Burgenland (£11.99 substance example of the genre. Here the loess- Nevertheless, for my top pick I am at Henderson Wines in Edinburgh) – to add dominated soil has helped to give 2013 going to a less-fashionable region offers delicacy and lightness that gives complexity Eitzinger Grüner Veltliner (£8.99 at around the shallow Lake Neusiedl to the added sophistication to the wine’s fresh and texture. bigger Co-op stores) those hallmark, south-east of Vienna. The sweet wines apple zestiness, its pepperiness, and £5.49 – clean and flinty touches, appealingly the lake’s climatic conditions encourage the delightful floral and tropical fruit instead of supported by lemon-centred acidity and have been famous for more than 300 layers. £6.49 – until 12 crunchy apple crispness. years and, nowadays, its red wines May at Tesco Equally, an impressive alternative are also attracting attention. More For regular recommendations on sensibly priced from nearby, 2013 Waitrose Grüner relevantly for this discussion, however, wine, go to my new website at MidWeekWines.co.uk 14 26 April, 2015 SCOTLANDonSUNDAY.