Self Isolation : Day 18

2017 Ingrid Groiss Gemischter Satz ‘Braitenpuechtorff’

Ah, good ol’ German-language wine labels. Crazy-long words. Nothing makes sense. Thankfully there is Google Translate! ‘Gemischter Satz’ translates roughly to ‘field blend’. And what a field blend it is! Seventeen varieties, planted roughly fifty years ago, sing in harmony. Sweet and savory on the nose, with ripe citrus, stone fruit, spice, and herbaceous tones that lead to mouthwatering flavors on the palate. A concert of minerality, citrus peel, under-ripe peach and pear, and lemongrass (just to name a few), that finished bone dry.

Field blends are possibly seeing a comeback in today’s world of single-varietal labeling and focused, intentional vineyard plantings that separate varietals based on nuanced differences in soil type, moisture content, and aspect across a vineyard. With old-vine, historical vineyards being revived and revered across the globe (Contra Costa County, the Sierra de Gredos Mountains, and the Canary Islands come to mind) they represent the ‘old way’ of doing things, where mixed plantings in a single vineyard would almost guarantee a balanced final wine comprised of under ripe, ripe, and over ripe grapes (different grape varietals ripen at different times). Just as you probably wouldn’t want to listen to a triangle solo but would miss the ‘ding-ding-ding’ in an orchestral performance, some grapes that may not be desired as single-varietal wines can serve as key elements in blends. Field blends represent some of the most balanced, food-friendly wines available today and are typically quite crowd-pleasing.

The list of grapes that go into this Austrian white are as follows, listed in alphabetical order:

1. Chardonnay

2. Frühroter Veltliner

3. Grauburgunder

4. Grauer Vöslauer

5. Grüner Veltliner

6. Hietl Rote

7. Müller Thurgau

8. Neuberger

9. Pinot Blanc

10. Riesling

11. Roter Veltliner

12. Rotgipfler

13. Sämling

14. Silberweisse

15. Welchriesling

16. Weisse Vöslauer

17. Zierfandler