White Wine with Meat

So Samantha and I have been discussing for about a month the concept of White Wine with Meat. I think Samantha has actually been doing this concept for years, having for example Sauvignon Blanc with Steak, but I am not as familiar with the concept, as I have not been a white wine lover for that long. But after returning from Austria, and drinking more Gruner Veltliner, I'm starting to really enjoy white wine with meat.

I am a German Riesling lover, and still love German Riesling more than I love Gruner Veltliner, but I have to admit that drinking German Riesling did not inspire me to drink white wine with meat. Sure, aged German Riesling can pair well with certain meat-like dishes such as foie gras or pate, but your typical fruity German Riesling is not what I think of having with burgers, etc. When I think German Riesling, I'm thinking of eating more Asian-type dishes such as spicy crabmeat noodles or some Lotus of Siam-type creation, or even a Chinese stir-fry I mike make at home, but not so much just a red meat. But Gruner Veltliner seems to work well with meat-type dishes.

Take for example last evening - we were scheduled to have bison burgers, done on the barbecue, topped with Stilton blue cheese, alongside some grilled zucchini that has been marinated in champagne vinegar and olive oil and a few dashes of seasoned salt. This meal went GREAT with 2006 Johann Donabaum Gruner Veltliner "Johann" from the Wachau. It was perfect! In fact, my husband Johan did consider for a brief moment opening a red wine, which I did not outright object to, but I did say that I would slightly prefer the perfectly cold bottle of white that was already in the fridge...... it turned out to be a very good choice. Given the season, especially, this refreshing, yet full bodied white almost gave the impression of a Chardonnay, but without a stitch of oak. Even Johan picked up on this - and in fact, Wachau Gruner Veltliners do appeal to those who like white Burgundy and Chardonnay, but not so much oak. There is a rich aroma on the nose of apricots and white flowers, followed but an equally rich palate that has really no greeness to it, just ripe fruit and balancing acidity and a touch of minerals.

Finally, here are some pictures of the famous David Rosengarten which I took on my Austria trip, which he was a part of. I didn't know who he was prior to meeting him, but he is a food writer/journalist who used to be on the Food Network, and wrote the book Red Wine with Fish. I am now crediting him with my phrase White Wine with Meat, which I think he might have covered in his book, but I think another book could be written just about White Wine with Meat!

These pics are taken on the final day of our Austria journey. We are at an old border station on the Hungarian side of the Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedlersee), which is located in the region of Burgenland. This huge lake is very shallow and muddy-appearing, but gives such a relaxing aura, with its water plants that grow up out of it, and the whole muggy humidity it gives to the air.