Hidden Gems

At first glance, Almaty feels like a contradiction. It’s no longer the capital of Kazakhstan, yet it still carries the air of one. It’s modern and cosmopolitan, yet shaded with apple orchards and tree-lined boulevards. It’s a city of finance and commerce, but its greatest gift to visitors is silence, the kind you find at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains when the sun dips and the snow-peaks catch fire in evening light.

Most people have heard of wines from France, Italy, or Argentina, but Austrian wine is still a hidden gem. Austria only makes about one percent of the world’s wine, so you don’t see it much in most wine shops or restaurants—especially in the U.S. If you do spot an Austrian wine, it’s probably Gruner Veltliner, their most famous white grape. But there’s much more to Austrian wine than just Gruner!