WTN: GV, Barbera blend

Last night it was unseasonably cool, put Betsy in the mood to do some indoor cooking (we mostly do quick stuff or grill in summer). She needed white wine for her Bolognese sauce, I opened the 2006 Graf Hardegg "Veltinsky" Gruner Veltliner . Fresh and fruit driven, citrus and peach with just a phantom wisp of white pepper dancing around the edges. A touch of sweetness, no depth or complexity to speak of, but this was under $10 and a decent QPR at that price. B-

With the veal ragu, green beans, and salad, the 2004 Sella Orbello (Costa della Sesia). Fun juicy blend, ripe dark berry fruits with some tar and a little "Russian tea" (a totally inauthentic blend of tea, lemon, orange, and spices that my mom made in the 70s). Goes well with the food, a fun wine and a good value at about $14. B+/B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

50% Barbera; 25% Nebbiolo; 20% Cabernet Franc; and 5% Vespolina.

Salute

...a little "Russian tea" (a totally inauthentic blend of tea, lemon, orange, and spices that my mom made in the 70s).

Dale, not totally inauthentic: there really are "Russian blends" or "Russian Caravan" teas that tea shops will make (less the fruit components) to reproduce a type of tea popular during Tsarist times, that would include Chinese teas in them since many teas came overland via the Silk Road. Also, during the USSR, many 'Russian' teas came from the black sea area, including Georgia, which have a distinctive quality to them.

The Russian Caravan from Mark Wendall in Boston makes our favorite ice tea.

Mark, my mom's was pretty inauthentic. Pretty sure it used Tang™

Dale,

Veltlinsky is not only the entry level GV from Graf Hardegg, but it's vinified (and marketed!) to be drunk within a year from harvest. So not only glad you liked it, but also glad it stood the small test of time.