How to pronounce Grüner Veltliner

What is Grüner Veltliner?

Austria's most planted grape variety, producing dry white wines with high acidity and flavors of citrus, green herbs and white pepper.

The name means “Green Veltliner” in German.

Grüner Veltliner is a white grape and the signature variety of Austria. According to Austrian Wine, the national wine marketing board, it covers about 14,300 hectares, close to a third of the country's vineyard area. Most of it grows in Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) and northern Burgenland. It is also planted in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

The name means Green Veltliner. Veltliner points to Valtellina, but no link between the grape and that valley has been found. DNA work showed that one parent is Traminer. The other is thought to be a very old vine found at St. Georgen in Burgenland.

The wines are usually dry and unoaked, with high acidity. Expect lime, lemon and grapefruit, a green herbal note and often white pepper. Styles run from light and crisp in the Weinviertel, where it is the only grape allowed for the regional DAC wine, to rich and long-lived along the Danube in the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. On a Wachau label, Smaragd marks the fullest style.

Grüner Veltliner, syllable by syllable

Why Grüner Veltliner is hard to say

In native German words the letter v usually stands for an f sound, as in Vater (father) and vier (four). The letter w takes the English v sound instead. Weinviertel, Austria's largest wine region and home to much of its Grüner Veltliner, shows both rules in one word: VINE-feer-tel. Veltliner itself is heard with f and with v in German, so velt-LEE-ner is also standard.

The stress comes from the place name inside the word. Veltlin is the German name for Valtellina in northern Italy, and it is stressed on its last syllable. Adding -er keeps the beat there: felt-LEE-ner. Traminer, from the village of Tramin, works the same way, which is why Gewürztraminer has a long mee in its second half. A single i in these names is ee, never eye.

Other accepted pronunciations

These are also correct, and Vinolingo scores them as correct:

• GROO-ner velt-LEE-ner — Also standard in German and the usual English form.

Tips for saying it

How to order Grüner Veltliner

Say the two words at an even pace and lean on LEE. The form with an English v, GROO-ner velt-LEE-ner, is fine in any restaurant or shop. In English-speaking wine bars the name is often shortened to Grüner, said GROO-ner, and the grape also goes by the nickname GrüVe.

• “Could I have a glass of the Grüner Veltliner, please?”
• “Is this Grüner Veltliner a light style or a richer one from the Wachau?” Useful because body varies a lot by region.
• “We'll take the Grüner Veltliner with the schnitzel.” Wiener schnitzel is a traditional Austrian match.

Names often confused with Grüner Veltliner

• Gewürztraminer (geh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner): Named after Traminer, one parent of Grüner Veltliner, and built on the same place-name-plus-er pattern.
• Riesling (REES-ling): Grown beside Grüner Veltliner along the Danube; more floral and stone-fruited, without the peppery note.
• Trocken (TROK-en): The German word for dry, which you may see on Austrian labels of this grape.

Questions about pronouncing Grüner Veltliner

How do you pronounce Grüner Veltliner?

Grüner Veltliner is pronounced GROO-ner felt-LEE-ner. Grüner has two syllables with the stress on the first. Veltliner has three with the stress on the middle one, a long ee. The V sounds like f in the form taught here.

Is it felt-LEE-ner or velt-LEE-ner?

Both are accepted. German speakers say Veltliner with an f sound or with a v sound, and German reference works list both. English speakers nearly always use v. The form taught here, felt-LEE-ner, follows the general German rule that v is said as f.

How do Austrians say Grüner?

With a long ü, a vowel English does not have. Say "ee" and round your lips as if for "oo" without moving your tongue. GROO-ner is the closest English match and is what most English speakers say. The final -er is a soft "uh" in German.

What does Grüner Veltliner mean?

It means Green Veltliner. Grün is German for green, and Veltliner means "from Veltlin", the German name for Valtellina in northern Italy. Despite the name, no connection between the grape and that valley has been found, and the variety is considered Austrian.

Is Grüner Veltliner sweet or dry?

Most Grüner Veltliner is dry, with high acidity and citrus, herbal and peppery flavors. Body varies from light and crisp to full and rich depending on the region and the ripeness of the grapes. Sweet versions exist but are uncommon, so a bottle without other indications is normally dry.

Sources: Austrian Wine: Grüner Veltliner (Weissgipfler), Wikipedia: Grüner Veltliner, Wiktionary (German): Grüner Veltliner, Wine Folly: Grüner Veltliner. Last reviewed 2026-10-10.