Skip to main content

Punkt Genau (on the dot)

A Perfect Austrian Sparkler.


Punkt Genau (on the dot) is a dry Sparkling White Wine from Austria. On the label you will see it labeled Trocken/Dry/Brut. This wine is made from Gruner Veltliner grapes, from the heart of the Veinviertel, 11% alcohol. Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most important white grape variety, accounting for around one third of all white grapes planted.

I was shopping for a sparkling wine at the local grocer and this bottle caught my eye (I'm always shopping for a good sparkling wine). I was drawn to the orange label and the interesting shape of the bottle. Looking at this photo, you may notice the screw cap, it has to be the smallest screw cap I've seen on a bottle of wine. I think the long neck makes this bottle look cool.

This is only the second bottle of Gruner Veltliner I've enjoyed. My first Gruner Veltliner was a bottle of B.C. wine I bought in Canada last year. This is my first sparkling Gruner Veltliner - and a  great example I might add. According to their website, "7 hectares of Grüner Veltliner vines stretch out along the border to the Manhartsberg. This location fulfils all conditions necessary for the production of wine with a terroir that is typical of the region. At the moment, we manage around 62 hectares of vineyard including these 7 hectares of Grüner Veltliner around “Schloss Maissau”, 6 hectares in Straning/Limberg for Stift Altenburg Abbey and around 49 hectares near Röschitz."

Opening the wine and pouring it into a flute, the color of this wine was pale, reminiscent of ginger ale. On the nose I smelled honey, spice, orange blossom, and some toast. Lovely.

In the mouth - flavors of peach skin and unripe nectarine, smooth with soft bubbles. Most of the flavor was noticeable on the sides of my mouth and the back end of my tongue. It tasted off dry to me and was very ejoyable. This bottle emptied fast. Recommended.

Put the Punkt Genau on your list for your next celebration or just because you want to enjoy a good sparkling wine. Produced and bottled by Weingut Ewald Gruber, Roschitz, Austria. I found it locally for about $19.

Product sheet here.

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle ...

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine.  That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d...

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in.  We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility.  On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well.  Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Wh...