Grapevine: Fresh Starts

Do you have a problem committing to self-improvement or resolutions at New Year's? I do. It's not a convenient time of year for such things. Residual holiday cheer (and stress), plus the long stretch of dreariness from January to April, doesn't exactly prime one's pump for renewal. But this time of year is lousy with renewal, and I'm in the mood to give myself a serious overhaul—not of my weight or sleeping habits, but of my wine preconceptions.
I've always liked Austrian wines, but I've never thrilled over them. I associate the work-horse white wine grape of Austria, Grüner Veltliner, with cheap and cheerful white wines that are tremendously useful and versatile, but not anything to fall in love with. That preconception has been destroyed by the Steininger Grüner Veltliner "Grand Grü" 2005 (Chesapeake Beverage Group, $23). This delicious white wine is made from late-harvested old-vine fruit, and finished not in oak but in an acacia barrel. Yellow stone fruit, honeyed ripeness, great acidity, and a dash of white pepper spice combine with a mouth-filling richness and length to make this wine a serious contender to world-class offerings from Germany and Alsace. But for this price, it seriously undercuts them for value. I could drink this wine like it's my job. (Oh, wait, it is. Lucky me!)
Another bottle from Austria that I recently encountered also delivers world-class wine for a good price. The Stadt Krems Riesling Kremstal 2004 (A Vintner's Selection, $30) is a subtle wine, with the typical notes of peachy summer fruit, and a decidedly atypical streak of blackberry and slate. Sleek and unassertive, but with tremendous richness and length, it is simultaneously serious and refreshing. It begs for scallops or even sausages to go with it. Lacking the petrol notes that some may find off-putting in super-serious German examples, it is a good introduction to the world of fine Riesling.
So that takes care of Austria. But what of Australia? My long-standing bias against the vast majority of juice from Oz is sorely in need of a good challenge—and I searched, dear reader, oh how I searched for an Australian wine I could swoon over.
But not this month . . . I'll keep looking. Sticking with the A's, how about Argentina? Yes, that's a good bet, with its well-made, modern methods applied to small parcels of mature vineyards, as well as oceans of recently planted tracts. Unfortunately, the results can vary wildly, with little of interest over $15 or $20.
That's my general opinion, so I went hunting for something expensive I wouldn't feel cheated by. The Luca Syrah 2004 (Bacchus Importers Ltd, $33) delivered. Blended with 15 percent Malbec, this is big, lushly textured, intense wine with a personality that speaks neither of Europe or California, but really of Argentina. I suppose it's that Malbec in the mix, but I'd like to think it has something to do with the soils, too. In any case, I found a lot of pleasure in this wine. If your grill is ready, consider the Luca as a companion to whatever you plan on throwing on there—maybe a low-fat chicken breast, to start that diet you've been meaning to launch since January?