When you step off Duane Street into Kurt Gutenbrunner's Blaue Gans "Wirsthause" you may feel you have been beamed to Hamburg or Vienna.
There are far too many reviews praising the many delights of this lively pub for me to add much more. The food is great, authentic Austrian with many twists. The staff perfectly entertaining and engaging. Let me tell you about two unique wines we had at Blaue Gans - Blue Goose.
The first was an Austrian white wine, Cuvee Klassik, the grape Spatrot which is the Austrian name for the blend made from Zierfandler and Rotgipfler, both of which are typical of and almost exclusively produced in the Thermenregion (Gumpoldskirchen, Traiskirchen, Pfaffstatten and other communities).
It is a little like some Sauvignon Blancs I have enjoyed with a bouquet of fresh asparagus and mild but fulfilling citrus flavors. A rare wine I hope to enjoy again.
Then we really enjoyed this red, Leo Hillinger Small Hill Red, 2004 "Only a few sections of Austria are warm enough to ripen some red varietals. This unusual wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Pinot Noir, and 25% St. Laurent (a cousin of Pinot Noir). The aromatics are quite attractive, and the flavors are reminiscent of Pinot Noir with a slight gamy character. The overall effect is refinement in a medium-weight style. This works beautifully with pork chops, chicken, and fish." Beekman Wines Find it Here
Both are available by the glass or bottle.
New York, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 571-8880
You should check out Blaue Gans, it is a lot of fun.
Posted by: Mano a Vino | 09/27/2008 at 08:13
Peter,
We have not been to Blaue Gans yet, but we have been to Kurt Guttenbrunner?'s other restaurants, Wallse, and Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallerie (which if you haven't seen their collection of Austrian art.....Klimt, etc. then GO!).
Both were excellent.
Posted by: Stacey Snacks | 09/26/2008 at 18:34