Der Name ist ein Omen: Sandgrube translates directly as «sand pit». Nevermind we buy this wine from an avid golfer and the name also means sand trap. Deep sand and loess soils shape the vineyard Sandgrube — extensive loess and sand deposits form the basis for the calcareous, well-aerated humic soils. The loess itself consists of fine dust derived from calcareous rocks mixed with dolomite, feldspar, quartz, mica and clay minerals carried by the wind during the cold stages of the Ice Age and deposited on the foothills of the Alps when there was little by way of vegetation. Vivid yellow/gold in color; fresh (eventually even after days of having been opened), one can even smell the lift on the nose with aromas suggestive cool green grapes, kiwi fruit, fresh snow pea greens, yellow plum and a hint of white pepper; easy vibrant appeal on the palate, just rounded with a delicate viscosity, an elegant underlying minerality and perfectly balancing mouthwatering acidity that keeps everything fresh on the finish.

Produce of 100% Grüner Veltliner fruit sourced from 4 different vineyards planted to löss soils in the hills above the city of Krems where temperatures are fresh given its steep elevation. The name Freiheit means "freedom" and is believed to be some of the first privately owned vineyard land in the valley not controlled by the church or a feudal estate. Fermentation and elevage occur in stainless steel and the wine is bottled at night when the cellars are most cool as Martin Nigl feels this helps preserve freshness in the wine. Indeed, glistening green-gold in color with lovely fresh garden green aromas titillating the nostrils with suggestion of something like snap-pea or chervil (Glenn noted Granny Smith apple, stone fruits and crushed rock; Andrea noted a hint of white pepper); lifted, vibrant and fresh on the tongue, almost effervescent but then rounded and gentle in texture with a tangy touch of salinity and all the while so very mouthwateringly delicious. Noted wine critic James Suckling rated it 91 (one of our favorite numbers 'round here) and suggested using it like Sancerre. Our own Brian Smith reminded us that one can successfully pair a good Grüner with artichoke, asparagus, broccoli and more. Grüner on green it is! And so we shall …

We've only recently become more well-acquainted with the work of Bernhard Ott, a.k.a. Mr. Veltliner, and, yes, we are the happier for it. To paraphrase from Ott's own remarks 'this is their entry level wine, a blend from vineyards within a bike ride of one another, casual, refreshingly low in alcohol, traversing the fine line between elegance and simplicity.' It's not vanilla from oak, nor the gooseberry from Sauvignon, it's not the apricot of Riesling nor the spice of Gewürztraminer, this lovely Grüner Veltliner has the aromas of healthy cool of the morning plump, green grapes hanging late in the season just prior to hand-picking. And Grüner Veltliner has survived its so-called 15 minutes of fame back in the early 2000s to prove itself a most useful white wine, at once, in this case, refreshing, delicious and satisfying. And, one more time from Ott: "Präzise dort, wo wir den Veltliner sehen" (precisely where we see the Veltliner). And this one is on the money.

"Agil, dynamisch und geradlinig" (agile, dynamic and straightforward) as Weingut Weszeli themselves describe the wine; from vineyards planted to pure gneiss with almost no topsoil at 380 meters (c. 1,250 feet), 'completely exposed and cold, the last to be picked every year' this wine is just redolent with Riesling purity what with shimmering come hither aromas of citrus and stone and peach; to heck with the margarita (for now), this one's got the balance of elements and (although completely dry) the completely wet thirst-quenching qualities and a refreshing delicate spritzig quality that would make it a perfect cocktail hour quaff or splendid accompaniment to a tossed salad of fresh greens, to a delicately poached trout or to an expertly-prepared Wiener schnitzel with fresh squeezed lemon or, perhaps, simply, a sunset … Read, it's versatile. And, good golly, it's vegan, too.

Produce of fruit from both lower and higher elevation sites in the Kamptal, yielding a wine with both ripeness and freshness; brilliant green-gold in color to almost silver at the rim with aromas that impress with their freshness, like clean green-gold grapes hanging just-ripened in the cool of a late season Kamptal morning; fresh and prickly spritzig quality on entry, then racy, fruity, with a nice vivid edge of crisp acidity that rounds out to an almost plump, spherical fruit quality on the tongue (Andrea noted suggestion of lime and salt; our winebuyer noted cool ripe gently salted green melon); indeed there is a saline, mineral quality at play that really gets the salivary glands going; wholly refreshing, flavorful and versatile dry white wine that can be enjoyed with from next to nothing to myriad culinary creations, tossed salads, all manner of green things really (including artichokes), Wiener schnitzel …

Light yellow gold with glints of green in color; fresh, spring-infused aromas hint at things like orchard fruits, chervil and fresh snow pea shoots; lovely equilibrium, easy and refreshingly light on its feet, but somehow also just ample in body and oh so satisfying. Talk about yer perfect porch-pounder. And — this is a full 1-litre bottle. Delicious and longer-lasting, too.

Zweigelt, notably, is the last grape mentioned in Jancis Robinson's grape tome Wine Grapes, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent "obtained by Fritz Zweigelt at the Klosterneuburg research center" near Vienna, Austria in the 1920s. Lovely limpid pale translucent ruby in color with fresh fruity grapey spicy aromas that beckon; at once both easy and tantalizing on the tongue, mouthwatering, too (Ian noted crunchy red fruit, both bright and savory; our wine buyer noted a hint of woodsmoke); definitely to accompany simpler, happier fare; we're thinking sausages with roasted herbed potatoes or even good 'ol Texas brisket; Berger seem to have a bead on Zweigelt. Guad g'mocht.