Gruner Veltliner, affectionately nicknamed “gru-vee”, is Austria’s most popular white grape variety, but it is not really planted in any quantities outside the country.

The organisers of a conference in New Zealand aim to change that: they have asked a keynote speaker at the event – award-winning Austrian winemaker Markus Huber – to spark off a discussion on the merits of growing more Gruner Veltliner in New Zealand.

Only small amounts of gru-vee is grown in New Zealand by a couple of dozen vineyards across the country, but the general manager of one large winery in Nelson said the variety was well suited to growing in the region and was probably the most exciting of the new whites being planted.

“We think it has real potential for not only Nelson but New Zealand. We think we can do it very well,” he said.

The wine is appealing because it is well known in established markets in the US and England, where it fetches high prices.

It is also relatively easy to grow, with a thick skin which makes it more resistant to disease, although it does have a tendency to crop heavily and requires more thinning and vineyard work.