For whatever reason, the new year has kicked off with a lot of meh wine. But kissing a lot of frogs is part of the deal when searching for fun or fine wines at the value end of the spectrum. Finally, this brilliant white has shaken things up. Gruner veltliner, Austria’s ubiquitous white grape, was once known for producing limp, insipid, watery wines. No doubt thanks to modernization in vineyards and cellars alike, recent years have brought some truly terrific examples to market. What’s more is that you’ll be hard-pressed to spend more than $15 on a gruner. Which bring us to the 2022 #GVLTAT Grüner Veltliner.Packaged in a generous one liter bottle and retailing for just $13, there’s energy and vigor behind the light body. It’s also got enough acidity to add some complexity, but overall this is just a fun, easy-drinking white (and 12.5%) that will be great to have on hand for summer evenings on the deck
