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Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria, and by far the nation's most widely planted wine grape. As Austria battles its way back to stardom on the international wine market, crisp, spicy Grüner Veltliner has been its flagship wine. The finest Austrian expressions come from vineyards above the Danube River, in Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal.

Classic Grüner Veltliner wines show citrus aromas (lemon peel and grapefruit) complemented by stone fruit and fresh vegetal notes and the variety's trademark hint of white pepper. But within this there are two key styles of Grüner Veltliner wine. The first – lighter, fresher and focused on minerality and citrus character – is typical of Weinviertel. The wine often bottled with a slight spritz, to lift the wine and emphasize its fresh, fruity notes.

The second style – spicier, weightier and more complex – is embodied by the top wines from the warmer Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal regions. These wines are richly textured and well structured, and require several years in bottle before reaching developed maturity. While most wines from this grape variety are fermented and aged in stainless steel or large old oak casks, some modern-styled weightier examples might be made using smaller new oak barrels. With time they soften and take in honeyed, marmalade-like characteristics that match their attractive, deep golden hue. Some writers have noted similarities with mature white Burgundy.

The variety's name might be hard to pronounce for the uninitiated, but Austria's incisive marketeers have turned this to their advantage, dubbing the variety "Gru-Ve" and even "Groovy". Grüner means "green", which neatly reflects both the variety's yellow-green berries and the fresh green-pepper character that typifies Grüner Veltliner wine. Veltliner – a name shared by several European grape varieties (notably Roter Veltliner) – is thought to be a reference to the varieties' possible origins in Valtellina.

Grüner Veltliner is grown extensively in almost every Austrian wine region, but the late-ripening variety has not proved successful in cooler, wetter climes of neighboring Germany, or anywhere else in northern Europe. It is also widely cultivated in Slovenia and the Czech Republic, and to a lesser extent in northern Italy, New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

Grüner Veltliner wines pair well with a wide range of foods, with the fresher styles well suited to many salad leaves and vegetables, as well as being mouthwatering aperitifs. The bigger wines combine naturally high acidity and full-bodied texture making them a versatile and exotic alternative to Chardonnay.

Synonyms include: Weissgipfler, Grunmuskateller, Veltlin, Veltlin Zelene, Veltlinske Zelene, Zeleni Veltlinec, Zoldveltelini, Zold Veltlini.

Food matches for Gruner Veltliner include:

• Traditional Wiener schnitzel
• Wasabi and tuna salad
• Zucchini quiche