'Groovy' Dry White From Austria Great for Summer

A difficult-to-pronounce wine from Austria is “one of summer’s great, unlikely pleasures,” Eric Asimov writes in the New York Times. Grüner veltliner has risen above the pack of other Germanic wines to become a favorite in America, thanks to its bracing dryness. It "can range from crisp and light-bodied to rich and full-bodied, with aromas and flavors of lemon and grapefruit, flowers and herbs. Perhaps its most distinctive feature is a peppery spiciness."

Asimov’s wine panel, which tasted 20 bottles, found some efforts lazy, indicating that some winemakers are treating “the genre like a cash cow, confident that cachet will triumph over a lack of effort.” But plenty tasted great. The winner: the Domäne Wachau Federspiel Terrassen of 2007 ($15). As for pronunciation: Just say GROO-ner, GV, or the insiderish "groovy."
(More white wine stories.)