Weingut Neumeister Grauburgunder Straden Vulkanland Steiermark 2021

Grauburgunder is German for Pinot Gris – and this one hails from Styria’s Vulkanland (“land of volcanoes”), near the southeastern border of Austria, near Slovenia and Hungary. If you expect somewhere called “land of volcanoes” might impart an electrifying minerality into its wines – you’d be spot on. This gripping and well-crafted 92-94 point 2021 vintage is balanced with yellow fruit and wild herbs for something chillingly mesmerizing for just under $22.

Crisp. Stony. Juicy. It’s all of that, and then some. The steep mountain slopes packed with marine sediment and volcanic basalt, where these Grauburgunder grapes grow, promise a certain level of wildness and fresh mountain air in this 2021 bottling. It is laser-focused, not at all opulent or sweet, and forged with a saline and stone minerality hyper-specific to where it is grown. And yet – there’s ripe cantaloupe, a twist of lemon peel, crunchy golden pear, and fresh alpine herbs giving this an altogether lovely, layered feel that most Pinot Gris could only ever dream of achieving.

It’s all because of third-generation winegrower Christoph Neumeister, who farms 30 hectares of vines spread over several careening, high-altitude hillsides around his hometown of Straden. The area’s harsh slopes combined with dramatic weather conditions (cool Alps-driven winds, plus warm breezes from the Adriatic Sea, plus frequent rain and hail storms) make winemaking practically an extreme sport in this corner of Austria – but one Christoph was born to play. He took the reins from his father, Albert, in 2006 at just 25 years old, continuing on with the organic viticultural practices his father had initiated in the ‘90s.

To that point, Christoph’s Weingut Neumeister is one of just a dozen wineries in the Steiermark organization, a deeply committed grower collective that has an internal classification system for prioritizing biodiversity and sustainability. Low yields, manual harvesting, gentle fruit and vine treatments, spontaneous fermentation, and used oak aging all allow Christoph to care for his vines with land preservation in mind, as well as mineral potency and textural authenticity in his wines. These are wines crafted with the utmost care and patience – in a land seemingly unforgiving for farmers, except those who have made a practiced, lifelong study of it.

If I could get a few bottles of this Pinot Gris for all of my white wine-loving friends, I would – it’s that stunning, and simply reminds me of the devout craftsmanship so many grape growers in all corners of the world pour into their creations. Get yourself a handful of these to experience its chiseled, piquant, charming personality for yourself! As usual, six or more gets you free shipping... though I doubt that’ll last you through the spring. 

PAIRING IDEAS: Go for a classic Bavarian schnitzel (thin, breaded, pan-fried pork cutlet) with braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, and potato dumpling with some beer mustard. (Sonoma locals can find this exact dish at Tisza Bistro, but it’s also a fun one to make at home!)