Tomich, Woodside Vineyard Gruner Veltliner 2013

When I threw together a prawn and avocado risotto for last Sunday night’s dinner, my recipe needed a cup and a half of a dry style of white wine. While it’s not difficult to find an ingredient of that description, I wanted one that was aromatic enough to give flavour to this delicate dish, yet still a suitable match for the food on the table. Enter, the Tomich Woodside Vineyard 2013 Gruner Veltliner. While in Austria, it’s probably their most popular style of white wine, in Australia it’s still a relative newcomer.

The Tomich team in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills have experimented with the Central European grape and the results are nothing less than spectacular. The Gruner Veltliner reminds me of my Mum’s bread and butter pudding on the nose, but there are some delightful stewed pears and citrus blossom flavours as the wine caresses your palate. I love the poise and balance that it shows as it tiptoes its way to the back of your tongue and the fact that it finishes so cleanly and pure.

The Gruner Veltliner may have started as a bit of an experimental project for Tomich, but I suspect that the panache of Randal Tomich and the enchantment of the Gruner Veltliner grape will be a partnership of Mills & Boon longevity!