Foods to pair with grüner veltliner

Grüner veltliner - a super versatile wine when it comes to food pairing, and one that’s almost always welcome at our dinner table. It pairs with a whole heap of delicious food, but if we had to pick a top five, this would be it.

Chicken schnitty

Look, the Austrian tradition is to pair a grüner veltliner with a veal or pork schnitzel, but it’s chicken schnitty that we find most often on our plates down in the southern hemisphere. It’s the perfect combo to refresh this pub classic - the zingy bright acidity and citrus that you’ll typically find in grüner will contrast & cut through the fried panko coating concealing that juicy chicken breast, complementing the wedge of lemon you’ve probably squeezed over the top too. Set us a plate and pour us a glass.

Sushi 

Very very general description, we know - “sushi”, like it’s just one thing. Pah. But the beauty of grüner veltliner, like riesling, is in its versatility - when it comes to sushi it can pair well with most things you’re likely to be seeing on the menu, without overwhelming or overpowering. Oysters, salmon sashimi, wakame salad, california rolls, prawn tempura, gyoza… “sushi”, you get the idea - and grüner can go great with all of it. Typically light, bright, zesty, sometimes with nashi pear notes in the mix too, grüner veltliner is going to complement and contrast in all of the right ways the next time you’re sitting down for a sushi feast. Kanpai!

Chicken sambal

Grüner veltliner’s versatility is never more on show than when you match it to bigger, spicier, savoury flavours like you’ll get in malaysian chicken sambal; it loves vibrant, fresh, salty, sweet chilli heat to meet the vibrancy and texture that you’ll see in a good grüner.

Mapu tofu

Savoury, rich and with that characteristic chilli heat - mapu tofu is a great food pairing for grüner veltliner. Why? Same as the above - grüner veltliner, is a great pairing for spice due to its characteristic white pepper notes and bright acidity that’ll both compare, contrast and convince you that this is definitely a pairing you’ll be marking off as one of your favourites. Grüner veltliner also has a classic texture that’ll match the richness of the dish too, without overwhelming everything. 

Spaghetti al Limone With Asparagus

Asparagus is the vegetable that gives many a wine the cold sweats when it comes to pairing. More divisive than vegemite, asparagus doesn’t always play nicely, but it loves grüner veltliner. Grüner can characteristically carry white pepper and slightly herbal notes in a glass that will nicely sit alongside the asparagus, whilst also bringing those bright lemons and florals that shake hands with the lemon dressing, and texture plus acidity that’ll give you a refreshing contrast against rich parmesan. 

As we always say - you know your tastes, and what works for you when it comes to pairing your favourite dishes and wines. There’s no judgement here - your enjoyment trumps all else. 

What we will say though is that the joy is always in the discovery of a new pairing, so switch it up and see what new taste sensations you’ll find.

Ready to get to know grüner veltliner? Over here.