Grüner Veltliner in the Hunter Valley: Why We're Growing Austria's Signature Grape in Australia

Grüner Veltliner is Austria's most planted grape and, for a long time, one of Europe's better kept secrets outside sommelier circles. It's still a rare sight in an Australian vineyard, let alone in the Hunter Valley, which is exactly why Silkman planted it.

What Grüner Veltliner actually is

Grüner Veltliner is a white variety native to Austria, where it accounts for close to a third of all vineyard plantings. It's known for a distinctive streak of white pepper spice, citrus and orchard fruit, often with a textural weight that sits somewhere between a Riesling and a Chardonnay. It's food friendly almost to a fault, which is part of why it has a cult following among sommeliers even where it's barely known by drinkers.

Why so few Australian producers grow it

Grüner Veltliner needs a climate that keeps its natural acidity and spice intact, which rules out a lot of Australia's warmer regions. It's also simply unfamiliar: growers plant what they know will sell, and a variety most Australian drinkers can't pronounce is a harder commercial case than another Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. The result is that plantings remain small and scattered, and a genuinely Hunter Valley expression of it is unusual enough to be worth seeking out on its own.

Why Silkman planted it

Silkman was built as a small-batch, experimental label from the start. Liz and Shaun Silkman founded it in 2013 after years of contract winemaking for other brands, wanting the freedom to make wines on their own terms rather than to a brief. Grüner Veltliner fits that brief exactly: a variety chosen for what the fruit could do in the Hunter Valley, not for how easily it would sell.

Tasting the 2024 Estate Grüner Veltliner

The current release shows grapefruit pith, white pepper and ginger on the nose, with golden apple, green guava and pear skin underneath and a gentle warm spice through the finish. It sits at 12 per cent alcohol, is best served well chilled, and has the structure to age through to at least 2028. James Halliday scored it 93 points, calling it "a fabulous expression of the variety," a strong result for a grape most Australian critics rarely see from a domestic producer at all.

What to eat with it

Grüner Veltliner's natural pairing partners are dishes that would flatten a lot of other whites: schnitzel, roast chicken with herbs, and Asian-inspired dishes built around chilli, ginger or fresh herbs. Its white pepper spice and citrus lift make it genuinely food-first, so it's worth opening with dinner rather than on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Which Australian wineries grow Grüner Veltliner?

Plantings remain small nationally, and it's uncommon in the Hunter Valley specifically. Silkman is one of the few Hunter Valley producers making a dedicated Grüner Veltliner, sourced from its own estate fruit.

What does Grüner Veltliner taste like?

Expect white pepper spice, citrus and orchard fruit such as green apple and pear, often with a textural weight between a Riesling and a Chardonnay. Silkman's 2024 Estate release shows grapefruit pith, ginger, golden apple and green guava.

Is Grüner Veltliner similar to Riesling?

They share bright acidity and a food-friendly style, but Grüner Veltliner typically carries more white pepper spice and a fuller, sometimes textural palate, while Riesling tends toward purer citrus and floral notes.

How long can you cellar Grüner Veltliner?

Good examples can develop for several years. Silkman's 2024 Estate Grüner Veltliner is built to age through to at least 2028, though it also drinks well on release.