Review: A Grüner Veltliner from Austria’s Star Non-Alcoholic Brand Zeronimo
/Zeronimo Gruner Veltliner, 97 points
*Available now through Better Rhodes - 15% off with code SOMEGOODCLEANFUN
When I was on maternity leave with my first child, there was a period of time starting that spring and into summer when I would trudge over to my “mom friends” house for wine time while our kids crawled all over the grubby front porch and we moaned about the witching hour, lack of spousal support and the dread of going back to work soon. The more memorable part of these experiences was my introduction to a white wine called grüner veltliner, thanks to my friend’s parents’ frequent trips back to their native Hungary. The acidic, fresh and complex nature of that varietal became a long-time favourite of mine, and a delight when I would find one stocked at my local wine shop.
If you’ve never had grüner veltliner, it’s a zingy, almost electric white wine native to Austria with incredible acidity and balanced fruit. It’s also produced in Czech Republic and Hungary among other countries. It’s really truly an Austrian specialty though and meant to pair with fondue and soft cheeses, or wiener schnitzel.
Zeronimo is produced at Austrian winery Heribert Bayer, who are really the first team of winemakers to dealcoholize an existing 98-point red wine. The grüner is part of their range of five styles - the grüner veltliner, the Leonis Blend red, Sparkling Select, a red zweigelt and the recent 2026 release of a rosé.
As with the other Zeronimo products, you can taste the quality of the vines, and the intelligent winemaking technique that goes into the process of dealcoholization. Where many non-alcoholic wine brands use a lower quality fruit, Zeronimo is standing out by producing non-alcoholic wines with some of their best vines and this is evident in the stunning new grüner veltliner.
The grapes are harvested from the Wagram region. Located just northwest of Vienna, Wagram produces richly textured, spicy grüner veltliner wines. Katja Bernegger, Founder of Zeronimo, says they moved from using Neckenmarkt wines to Wagram for the second grüner vintage.
“We loved the very special soil in Wagram. It gives the wine a certain mouthfeel and a touch of crispiness,” she explained. “The first vintage of 2023 the grapes were directly from here in Burgenland, but we thought it would be better for the next vintage to try from Wagram.”
Aroma
On the nose, there are notes of fresh green apple blossom, a little bit and lemon curd. Overall the nose is aromatic and sophisticated and a great precursor to the taste.
Taste
This is a stunning stunning wine. It is so close to what a traditional grüner veltliner tastes like that anyone who loves this varietal will be in love. It’s herbaceous and peppery with a perfectly balanced bright acidity and soft green apple fruit. There’s a huge amount of lift in the glass, which just brings me so much joy. There’s a vein of minerality that continues on through the mid-palate, with a soft fruity finish.
*Note: don’t chill this wine too much or you will miss all the depth - keep it slightly warmer than you would think a white should be.
Texture/Mouthfeel
This is one of the best whites in the category when it comes to texture and mouthfeel, as a lot of non-alcoholic whites are too thin or too heavy. As mentioned, this grüner veltliner is made with grapes grown in the Wagram region which gives the wine a nice hearty mouthfeel and a little bit of an oily texture which I love.
One key thing about all the Zeronimo wines is that although they’re low in sugar, they aren’t thin. Many non-alcoholic winemakers trying to get to two or three grams of sugar per glass end up stripping out the texture and weight (and the flavour). Other times, lower quality non-alcoholic wines end up removing the alcohol and adding a lot of sugar back into the liquid to enhance mouthfeel. In Austria, strict regulations means this is not allowed or the wine is ineligible to be called wine whether it’s non-alcoholic or not. With Zeronimo’s grüner veltliner, the sugar rating is 2.2g per 3.5 oz glass and there is no added juice, but the texture is just perfect.
What to pair with Zeronimo Grüner Veltliner
This is a nice peppery, herbaceous wine so it will pair really well with salads, soft cheeses, any type of white fish with lighter sauces or the famous wiener schnitzel. It’s a perfect wine for al fresco summer dining.
Overall
Overall, this is an elegant and really well-made dealcoholized white that a wine fan will truly enjoy, whether they are a non-drinker or not. It doesn’t taste like a dealcoholized wine and someone who didn’t know might be fooled into thinking it was a regular wine with a lower alcohol volume. If you’re new to wines from Austria, or even new to thinking about non-alcoholic wine and its various facets, you may not understand why this wine is special but it’s worth just trusting me on this one!
Where to Buy Zeronimo in the U.S.
Available at Better Rhodes - 15% OFF your cart with code SOMEGOODCLEANFUN
Where to Buy Zeronimo in Canada
How we score wines at Some Good Clean Fun:
95 to 100 - An excellent drink with a great personality. An example that stands out among its peers
90 to 94 - An accomplished drink with considerable personality, character and complexity. A classic example of its style or variety.
85 to 89 - A perfectly well-made drink which provides an enjoyable drinking experience.
80 to 84 - An acceptable but simple drink, lacking distinction.
