I occasionally like to use this column to point folk in the direction of wines from countries or regions they might not normally opt for.
 

This time, I'm plugging Austrian wine. Like its near neighbour Italy, Austria has a long, rich and diverse history of viticulture and winemaking that stretches back thousands of years. Equally, like Italy, it is blessed with a great geography of mountains and valley systems that are conducive to natural irrigation and vine plantation, not to mention the very temperate seasons.

Sadly, like its other near neighbour Germany, it has something of a bad reputation (albeit completely undeserved) in the international wine market - particularly in the UK. Many of you will remember the unfortunate 'antifreeze scandal' in the mid 1980s, where many Austrian wines were found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals added in a bid to strengthen and sweeten the wines before bottling.

The German wine industry was implicated in this dodgy episode too, and these countries' wine industries - once the backbone of our budget plonk market - were utterly ruined. The silver lining to this is that like in Germany, the Austrian wine industry has been rebuilt as a hallmark of quality, with remarkably high standards, and a wonderful diversity of things to try.

The only problem is that Austrian wine still isn't very fashionable, so it can be quite hard to find in the local shops. Here are a few high-street tips to get you started!

Austria is best known for its predominant white grape Grüner Veltliner. A unique grape, it is light and aromatic, and has a lovely balance of soft yellow fruit and delicate citrusy acidity, often finishing with funkier notes like white pepper, celery and asparagus. Yes, it sounds weird, but please don't let that put you off - it makes for fantastically diverse food wines, great for meatier fish dishes and Thai (or other south-east Asian) cuisine.

Sainsbury's do a nice, entry-level example in their Taste the Difference Grüner Veltliner 2011 (£7.49). This wine emphasises the gentle, fruity side of the grape, showing a little bit of melon and candied pear, and it has an incredibly delicate, but oh-so pleasant finish.

Taking the flavours up a notch, go for the quirky Salomon Groovey Grüner Veltliner 2011 (£9.49, Oddbins). This wine is trying to mess with your mind; the bottle is garishly adorned with an image of 'Joe Cool', a fish in sunglasses (yes, I know), and 'Groovey' is a pun on the Austrian shorthand of Grüner Veltliner, 'GrüVe'. Look past the painfully 'crazy' label and the wine is exquisite - richly aromatic and with a very food-friendly acidity. Great stuff.

The Austrians do a good line in red wines too, and put a new spin on our old friend Pinot Noir. Markowitsch Pinot Noir 2011 (15.50, Oddbins) is a lovely cool climate Pinot from Carnuntum, just East of Vienna. They have been making wine here since (at least) Roman times, and that heritage shows. Deep, complex, and satisfyingly juicy and dry at the same time. While it's not Pinot as you might know it, this wine shows quality that would cost £20 or more from Burgundy, so it's really worth the venture!

And not a drop of antifreeze in sight! Phew!

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