MIKE TIPPING pops into good old Marks & Sparks for this week's Tipping's Tipples.

A and L, two letters that added together make a name synonymous with Capone and Stewart. A and L also become very important if removed from Australia.

Imagine if your finger slipped on the keyboard when making an Internet order for wine. Instead of ordering Australian wine, you order Austrian.

But if crisp dry whites and flavoursome chillable reds are your thing, then you may be glad your digits erred.

Not the first country you would think off when buying wine I wager but M&S has added five Austrian wines to itsr listings. That's about five more than most wine retailers.

Apparently, this is on the back of success M&S has had, with its German wine range. The store's wine buyer, Chris Murphy, says Austria is an, "undiscovered secret of the wine trade".

Tipping's Tipples has collared three wines from the Austrian range, for consideration. The trio all come from vineyards in the Kremstal region near the Danube.

Accounting for over a third of Austrian wine growing is the white gruner veltliner grape. I tried the Gebling Vineyard Gruner Veltliner 2003. Lively and crisp, this wine is as dry as a bone.

It has a lingering hot peppery finish with musky flavours. There are hints of cucumber, lime and under-ripe kiwi coupled with minerally notes. Great with fish I suspect.

Another grape, almost unique to Austria is St Laurent.

This red is similar to pinot noir, although probably unrelated as not only does it ripen earlier but it also has a different leaf shape.

M&S's offering, the Gobelsburg Estate St Laurent 2002, is a rich ruby red colour. It should be chilled for half an hour or so before drinking. This medium bodied wine is oaked but only slightly. It's very dry with flavours of raisins and raspberry, and the tannins tickle the palate seductively.

You'll look clever and sophisticated with a bottle of this at a barbecue, so walk around with if for a while before handing it to your hosts.

The Martin Estate Riesling 2003 is an example of the riesling grape done well. It's dry, very crisp with great acidity and a noticeable effervescence. Citrus fruit and pear flavours spring to mind with this one.

Pam, my auntie-in-law, loved Martin Estate Riesling when she visited at the weekend.

I wrote down it's name and I imagine she's been to her local M&S, in Grimsby, to buy a bottle. That's one convert to Austrian wine already!

Gebling Vineyard Gruner Veltliner 2003, £8.99

****

Godelsburg Estate St Laurent 2002, £9.99

****

Martin Estate Riesling 2003, £9.99

****

Updated: 15:29 Friday, June 25, 2004