Wine of the Week: Fox Run Vineyards 2025 Grüner Veltliner
A fresh, subtly complex Finger Lakes grüner that actually tastes like grüner
Are you enjoying The Cork Report? Do you want to support independent wine writing? Consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
The best grüner veltliner grown in North America isn’t from New York. It’s from Pennsylvania. Galen Glen is the benchmark for the variety outside of Austria as far as I’m concerned.
But, after years of tasting a fair amount of New York-grown grüner—with mostly underwhelming results—this Fox Run Vineyards 2025 Grüner Veltliner ($20*) caught my attention during a recent tasting session.
What made it stand out? It actually tastes like grüner and that’s where a lot of Finger Lake examples fall short. They can be delicious white wines, but they often lack varietal character, which is a dealbreaker for me when it comes to such a distinctive, singular grape.
The first thing you smell on the nose is a pop of sweet lime and citrus blossom, with layers of classic white pepper grüner-ness, just-ripe pineapple, and sugar snap pea. That fruity-savory balance is what makes this wine intriguing.
That balance and subtle complexity carries over to a bright, crackling palate. It’s just off dry with the a nice core of lime and green apple fruit flavors complemented beautifully by earthy white pepper, citrus blossom, pea tendril, and lemongrass-y herbaceousness. At $20, this is a good value to boot.
Fox Run Vineyards 2025 Grüner Veltliner
Region: Seneca Lake AVA (New York)
ABV: 12.1%
Grapes: 100% grüner veltliner
Rating: 90 pts
Price: $20* (Available Here)
*Sample provided by winery