Velouté of asparagus with Grüner Veltliner

It's been a while since I've posted about soup - it's notoriously tricky to match with wine - but this weekend I came across a great combination at a new restaurant in Bath, the oddly named Menu Gordon Jones*

It was a classic velouté - silky smooth and creamy with the delicate flavour of the new season's English asparagus.

It would have been easy to overwhelm it with a fruity white like a Sauvignon Blanc but the 2010 Meinklang Burgenland Grüner Veltliner we'd ordered was perfect crisp counterfoil.

It also paired brilliantly well with a cocotte of sole, red mullet, mussels and spring vegetables that was served as the main course.

The more I drink Grüner Veltliner, the more I think it's one of the most versatile restaurant wines around. And this one was only 11.5% which makes it the perfect lunchtime option.

*A curious place. The chef can certainly cook but I couldn't wholeheartedly recommend it. See my review here.