A few of our favourite things: Studio Null Gruner Weiss Review
/Studio Null Gruner Weiss, 93 points
Grüner veltliner is not a familiar wine varietal to most consumers, but it’s close to our hearts here as an international ‘hidden gem’. It’s Austria's signature white wine grape, and is known and celebrated for its crisp acidity, versatility, and unique flavor profile. Grüner veltliner has a history dating back to at least Roman times, but it wasn't until the late 20th century that it gained international recognition. The grape is like a chameleon and can produce both light and zesty wines and wines that are bolder and more complex. Its wide spectrum of flavors can include notes of white pepper, green apple, and citrus - making this varietal a sommelier favorite. Creating a non-alcoholic wine from this grape hasn’t been attempted until now, with the release of the world’s first commercially produced non-alcoholic gruner from Studio Null in California.
Studio Null is not a vineyard itself, but sources the grapes for all its wines from family-run vineyards across Europe. Founded in 2021, the most exciting thing about each Null bottle is their focus on sustainability and transparency from grape to glass. This is where a lot of non-alcoholic wine companies fall short, and are not very forthcoming with information when it comes to the three Vs (vintage, varietals, and vineyard). It’s amazing to see all the details right on each Null bottle.
The Studio Null Gruner Weiss is a non-alcoholic white blend produced in Germany from Gruner Veltliner and Gelber Muskateller, which is one of the most ancient grape varietals on the planet. The grapes are sourced from Baumgartner vineyard in Austria and aged in stainless steel for four months, which helps the wine age without imparting any flavours from an oak wine cask. This results in the unique characteristics of the Gruner really shining through even after dealcoholization.
Aroma
On the nose, there’s not much to report - notes of lemon and clay, but definitely not overpowering.
Taste
The palette is wonderfully crisp with a nice pop of acidity, which is what gruner veltliners are known for. There are notes of apple, clay and delicious lemony fruit. There’s just a tiny hint of a herbal undertone. With gruner veltliner, you can sometimes get green pepper or vegetal notes, so there was an expectation of some of that complexity and it’s there but very muted - probably stripped away in the delacoholization process. Despite that, this wine is exactly what one would expect a non-alcoholic gruner veltliner to taste like.
Experience
The addition of the gelber muskateller is a stroke of genius as it probably adds both fresh and slightly tart notes to the blend but also gives it a bit of a mouthfeel to prevent the gruner veltliner from being too thin on its own.
Sugar rating
Overall, this is a light, tasty and dry non-alcoholic white with a low sugar rating at 4g sugar per 5oz glass. If you’re interested in exploring sommelier territory, this is a fun and easy wine to try (although it’s not easy on the wallet).
This is an excellent holiday non-alcoholic wine choice, because the best pairing for it is a cheese fondue with friends - honestly, there is nothing better than crusty bread, hot cheese fondue and a crisp glass of gruner veltliner.
If you’re serving dinner, this would go really well with fatty meats like lamb. The acidity and lemony notes will also cut through rich and creamy pasta dishes.
You can find this in Canada through Sobr Market ($45 CDN) and in the U.S. through the Null Wines website ($32 USD).
How we score wines at Some Good Clean Fun:
95 to 100 - An excellent drink with a great personality. An example that stands out among its peers
90 to 94 - An accomplished drink with considerable personality, character and complexity. A classic example of its style or variety.
85 to 89 - A perfectly well-made drink which provides an enjoyable drinking experience.
80 to 84 - An acceptable but simple drink, lacking distinction.
