Pffafel, 'The Dot Austrian Pepper' Grüner Veltliner, 2025

'One-Liner'
Austrian Grüner doing exactly what it says on the bottle – crisp green apple, citrus and herbs with that unmistakable crack of pepper.

Tasting Note
Bright green-gold in the glass, with fresh aromas of lemon, grapefruit and crisp green apple alongside delicate herbs and peppery spice. The palate is dry and lively, combining juicy orchard fruit with citrus zest and Grüner Veltliner’s characteristic white and black pepper character. A brief period of skin contact gives a little extra texture through the middle without taking away from the wine’s freshness. There is a pleasing mineral edge beneath the fruit, while five months in stainless steel keeps everything clean, bright and wonderfully precise. Fresh, gently spicy and satisfyingly persistent on the finish, with citrus, herbs and pepper lingering behind.

Country: Austria
Region: Niederösterreich
Sub-Region: n/a
Grape(s): 100% Grüner Veltliner
ABV: 12.5%
Friendly: Vegan, Vegetarian

Awards & Critics' Scores
Mundus Vini Spring Tasting 2026 – Gold Medal

The Story
The Dot was created by the Pfaffl family to solve one of Austrian wine’s more peculiar problems: the wines could be wonderfully approachable, while the labels and grape names sometimes seemed determined not to be. Brother and sister Roman Josef Pfaffl and Heidi Fischer turned that on its head by naming each wine after the flavour you should look for – and with Grüner Veltliner, that could only really be Pepper. The 2025 is given around four hours on its skins before gentle pressing, followed by cool fermentation and five months in stainless steel, preserving the grape’s crisp citrus fruit, herbs and trademark peppery spice. It is a clever introduction to Austria’s signature white grape, but there is proper winemaking behind the playful label.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Pan-fried trout with dill, parsley and lemon potatoes
- Vegetarian: Potato rösti with soured cream, chives and a little lemon zest
- Vegan: Roast cauliflower and mushroom curry with toasted almonds