Weingut Setzer Gruner Veltliner 2007

Served With: Ricotta and Parsley Ravioli with a Butter Sauce.

Five Things: topaz, mineral, granny smith apples, rounded floral tone, vegetal

COO: Niederösterreich, Weinviertel, Austria

Notes: Usually we'll go with a Chard when it comes to ravioli, but this Gruner Veltliner was a very well balanced wine. It had a a juiciness that complimented the creamy ricotta filling and nicely picked up the vegetal parsley notes. It also had enough roundness to play well with the butter sauce. That's about all you can ask from a wine...

Website: Weingut Setzer

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Weingut Setzer, Gruner Veltliner, 2007, Niederösterreich, Weinviertel, Austria

Favorite Wines of 2009

To give you a better idea of what kind of wines I drink, here's a short list (in no particular order) of my favorite wines that were opened in 2009.

Reverie Estate Cabernet Franc 2001
(Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain district, California)

Fort Ross Pinot Noir 2004
(Sonoma, California)

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Montoya Petite Sirah 2006
(Paso Robles, California)

Peirano Estate Petite Sirah 2006
(Lodi, California)

Cave de Ribeauville Gewurztraminer 2007
(Alsace, France)

Hofer Gruner Veltliner 2007
(Austria)

Holy Cow Merlot 2006
(Columbia Valley, Washington)

Sergio Mottura Orvieto Tragugnano 2007
(Italy)

Owen Roe Sinister Hand 2007
(Columbia Valley, Washington)

Terrazas Malbec 2007
(Mendoza, Argentina)

Hitching Post Fiddlestix Pinot Noir 2003
(Santa Rita Hills, California)

Chateau Fortia Cuvee du Baron 2004
(Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France)

Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco 2004
(Valle de Curicó, Chile)

Primaterra Primitivo 2007
(Puglia, Italy)

Monterey Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2007
(Santa Lucia Highlands, California)

Max Ferd. Richter Riesling 2007
(Mosel, Germany)

Laurello Cabernet Franc 2007
(Grand River Valley, Ohio)

Familia Zuccardi Vida Organica Torrontes 2008
(Mendoza, Argentina)

Mas de Gourgonnier 2006
(les Baux de Provence, France)

Tiziano Gold Chianti Classico 2005
(Tuscany, Italy)

Cooper Mountain Cooper Hill Pinot Noir 2007
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Tablas Creek Vineyard Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2003
(Paso Robles, California)

20 Bees Ice Bees Cabernet Franc 2005
(Niagra Penisula, Canada)

Villa Teresa Prosecco Veneto
(Italy)

Coturri Chauvet East Block Zinfandel 2005
(Sonoma, California)

Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez
(Spain)

Peltier Station USB Zinfandel
(Lodi, California)

Grahams Six Grapes Reserve Porto
(Portugal)

Tags: cabernet franc, pinot noir, petite sirah, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, merlot, malbec, chateauneuf-du-pape, primitivo, chianti, port, sherry, xeres, pedro jiminez, zinfandel, organic, biodynamic

Huber Guner Veltliner 2008

Served With...: Mac and Cheese with Lacinato Kale

Five Things: citrine color, mineral, crisp, apricot, floral

COO: Austria

Notes: As Gruner Veltliner's go, this was a pretty good showing all around, with an acidity that was up to the task in regards to the Mac and Cheese (and greens).

Website: http://weingut-huber.at

Rating: Very Good

Tags: gruner veltliner, 2008, austria