Spring has sprung! Daffodils and tulips are starting to shoot up through the dirt and we’re seeing buds on every bush. And what pairs well with early blossoms of spring? Something fresh, bright, and bursting with all-natural energy!
Christina Grüner Veltliner ($20) is an unfined, unfiltered dry white wine from Austria. It’s hazy, citrusy, and super gluggable, meaning you can throw back large quantities easily – a must for any “porch pounder” as we enter into patio season.
Christina Netzl and her family make wine out of Göttlesbrunn, Austria. Christina grew up on the vineyard, deciding as early as age 5 to become a vintner herself. Inspired by the natural wines introduced through an internship with a London importer (and following the births of her two little girls), Christina decided to convert her family’s vineyards to organic in 2013 and two years later, began making more natural wines under her own label.
“Over the years, I’ve also been experimenting with different low-intervention methods in the cellar. I fell in love with them and the living wines they yield, and I ended up adding my own range of natural wines to the more classical ones ‘inherited’ from my father.”
– Christina Netzl, Jenny & Francois
Christina’s wines are available in the states thanks to natural wine importer Jenny & François Selections. We have it on good authority (from a favorite neighborhood wine bar owner) that seeking wines labeled as Jenny & François imports is a great trick for finding good natural wine.
Jenny was seeking lively natural wine from traditional Austrian varieties (of which Grüner Veltliner is one of the most common) and Christina’s low-intervention wine fit the bill. They’ve since become some of the most popular bottles on their roster.
Having tasted one so far, we’re intrigued and excited to seek out more! Plus, the bottles have beautiful labels that play with spring and nature. Jenny’s husband art-directed the designs and on her site, she declares them: “a tribute to the beneficiary insects that inhabit the vineyards. Not all bugs are bad – these useful little critters help manage pests and build soil health and biodiversity, which is so important in natural winemaking!”
We’ll definitely be seeking out more Christina wines in the future, but we’re also fascinated with the entire natural wine movement – and it is a movement back to winemaking’s roots that we’re witnessing! Will you be tasting alongside us?
Witty Pairs 