Snow flops on Salzburg rooftops, but we stay cosy inside our hostel and watch Julie Andrews declare these hills be alive.

So while in Salzburg (see last post), we must try Austria’s native white grape: Grüner Veltliner.  A bit too literally translated as “Green Grape”, it makes for bright whites.  For an EU Austerity Drinking Tour friendly €6.50, we open Weingut Türk, Grüner Veltliner, Kremser Weinberge, from Kremstal in North East Austria from 2010.

We ignore the stark label and open it.

Appearance: It looks a clear, pale, lemon green, with slight fizz.

Aromas: smell clean and still developing, with medium intense gunpowder and flint leading to lemon peel. That sulfur blows off after a bit, but the flinty wet stone mineral smell hangs on.

Palate: Dry, high-toned acids, medium 12% alcohol, leads to a lightish body, with a prickly texture.

Flavors: The notably intense flavors of lemon juice and flint mineral lead for a medium length. Turk is good (3 of 5), refreshing, loaded with cut. Goodbye enamel.

Tomorrow: Austrian Red??? Oh yes!