A crisp white wine for those difficult greens
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Drinks
It's hard to find a crisp white wine to complement those lovely greens. But you don't have to search that as we have selected some of the best for you.
Brussels sprouts, artichoke and asparagus: the sommelier’s nightmare. They come from a small list of ingredients that are famously tricky to pair with wine.
One solution comes in the form of Grüner Veltliner, which is often a recommended accompaniment to asparagus. The full-bodied Austrian white wine isn’t widely known, perhaps because most of it stays in Austria. As the wine’s export market grows, more and more people are converted to Grüner Veltliner and its vegetal green, white-pepper notes, which makes it a particularly good partner to green spring vegetables.
Perhaps if the asparagus market continues to expand at the speed it has done, Grüner Veltliner might soon become an everyday wine in Britain too.
M Signature Grüner Veltliner 75cl, £6.99
Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Grüner Veltliner, £7.50, Sainsbury’s
Schloss Maissau Weinviertel Grüner Veltliner, £9.50, The Wine Society
Did you know?
British demand for asparagus has rocketed 540% in the past decade. In 1970, only 2.9% of Brits bought it. Now millions of kilograms are imported each year. Try eating asparagus in season, or even have a go at growing it yourself. Visit british-asparagus.co.uk for tips on how.
British Asparagus Festival, Worcestershire April 23—June 21
The month-long celebration starts with the annual “Great Asparagus Run”, followed by cooking demonstrations, workshops and an exhibition chronicling asparagus’ history in the area. Visit britishasparagusfestival.org for details.
