wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.

Log in Become a Member

With their distinctive acidity and tannin structure, the wines of the grape variety Blaufränkisch are by far not as accessible as those of Zweigelt, Austria's most cultivated red wine variety. Currently, they are considered top red wines there, but internationally they remain insider tips for connoisseurs. Alexander Lupersböck found out where Blaufränkisch is heading.

In Burgenland, Blaufränkisch is the number one red wine variety. Georg Schweitzer, the managing director of the wine marketing organisation Wein Burgenland, knows the year in which Blaufränkisch was discovered internationally: "Jancis Robinson MW gave it roses in 2012, and since then demand has been rising continuously." Climate change is also responsible for the growing popularity of the variety: "With higher ripeness, the tannin structure of the Blaufränkisch has also become more accessible, but this has no influence on its ripening potential."

Georg Schweitzer is the head of Burgenland's wine marketing.

Winemaker Dorli Muhr, in particular, still sees Blaufränkisch from the well-known first site Spitzerberg only as a niche. "For the mass of consumers, it is not as attractive as Zweigelt. We need experienced wine drinkers for our wines. Therefore, we have to look for a broader base and go out into the world. In every country in the world, these styles are a minority programme. They are only loved by very few people - journalists, a few merchants, sommeliers and collectors. It is progressing and more people dare to try it, but it will never become mainstream."

Gernot Heinrich has a similar assessment of the market situation: "Internationally, an elegant, floral and less extracted style is accepted. But it also depends on which segment you are in. In the natural wine segment, people like such wines; more conservative traders appreciate stronger - not wood-laden - Blaufränkisch. We work with amphorae, and that brings out more finesse. In Austria, people much more prefer the woody, more powerful style."

Winemakers Reinhold Krutzler and Georg Wieder have a similar perception of the site: in Austria it is considered a top red grape variety, but internationally it still needs time to establish it as such.

Georg Schweitzer, on the other hand, has no doubt that it will succeed: "The Blaufränkisch is a widely cultivated grape variety in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. I can very well imagine it being an alternative to red wines made from international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The taste is different and it can wonderfully satisfy the wine consumers' joy of discovery." And he highlights a special quality of the variety: "The Blaufränkisch has the ability to show its origin, and our winemakers have the necessary know-how to bring that out."

More on the topic:

© Georg Schweitzer, © Krutzler Winery

Related Magazine Articles

View All
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More
More

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS