Blaufrankisch - Central Europe’s Favorite Red Grape

I wasn’t exactly sure exactly how I was going to title this piece on this grape variety. For whatever reason, I settled on “Blaufrankisch” (the vine’s Austrian name) but I could as easily have used “Kekfrankos” (the Hungarian name) or “Lemberger” (what the Germans call the variety). But whatever you call it, it is indeed Central Europe’s favorite “native” grape variety…

So now that we’re talking about the name of this vine, let’s look a little more at it…Both the words “Blaufrankisch” and “Kekfrankos” mean “French Blue” in their respective native languages. Now clearly this would lead the reader to believe that vine might have its origins in France, and for a time, there was a theory that Cistercian monks from Burgundy in France may have brought cuttings of the variety from their home to the monastaries that they were helping to establish in the east. And to further this connection, the vine, which also grows in Bulgaria where it is called “Game`” and a bit in Romania where it is called “Burgund Mare” certainly lends some creedence to this argument, and there is indeed more than a few intersections with the look of Gamay on the vine, and the taste of the wines that it yields in the glass. But, during the late middle ages/early Renaissance, a particular Austrian King, when organizing the planting of the kingdom’s vineyards, made a major distinction between “Hunnish” (read “pedestrian”) and “Frankisch” (read “noble”) vine varieties, and where each of these groups should be planted, so it seems that this is probably the source for the actual name. And, to further promote the French origin theory, recent DNA profiling has shown a relationship to a moribund French variety called Gouais Blanc, a variety which seems to have left its genetic stamp on scores of other wine grapes as well. But, while the ULTIMATE origins of this variety MAY be in France, the variety is completely unknown there now, and is probably the result of a crossing with Gouvais and some other now lost, and un-French variety.

Today’s Blaufrankisch is most famous as Austria’s workhorse red grape variety. There it is most closely associated with the Burgenland region in the extreme southeastern corner of the country. Just over the border in Hungary, the variety finds welcoming soils in Sopron (which adjoins Burgenland) as well as the southeastern Hungarian wine regions of Villany and to a lesser extent, Szekszard. Moving back west, the vine, under the Lemberger name, grows in modest quantities in the Wurttemberg region of southwest Germany. And, a little suprisingly, there is a fair amount of the vine found (under the name Lemberger) in Washington state’s Yakima Valley where it continues to gain in importance and popularity.

Physiologically, the vine is quite healthy (not particularly prone to the range of common vine diseases), vigorous (producing copious foliage), and high yielding (produces large quantities of fruit), and for these reasons, growers love it. The variety’s early budding tendencies as well as late ripening tendencies however, make it susceptible to both spring frosts and early-onset cooling at harvest. These exigencies make growing Blaufrankisch a reality only for those vignerons whose vineyards are found in overall fairly warm regions, and without any great temperature snaps in making the transition from winter to spring or from summer to autumn.

Once vinified, Blaufrankish is more likely to be seen as a varietal bottling (unblended), though especially in Hungary and Washington State, Blaufrankisch is sometimes blended with the more tannic Bordeaux varieties to soften and leaven them. In the glass Blaufrankisch is quite dark in color. The olfactory descriptors most often assigned to Blaufrankisch wines are notes of black cherry, loamy earth, and ground spices. On the palate, the wine is decidedly more acidic than tannic, with a medium to full body, and a noticeably “fruity” character - something like a fantasy blend of Barbera and Gamay. Blaufrankisch is a grape that rarely produces wines that anyone would dub as profound or sublime (at least not yet!) but it’s wines rarely disappoints either, and in the best conditions in the best vintages, Blaufrankish can indeed surpise even those most well-drunk oenophile with its character and quality.

Blaufrankish pairs very well with all kinds of foods, but especially well with richer, liberally spiced dishes featuring lighter meats…can anyone say Chicken Paprikash?

Here are the PURE Blaufrankisches that we’re currently stocking. If you pick up a bottle or two, please post your tasting notes here as comments. Enjoy!

TOM CIOCCO

Paul Lehrner Blaufrankisch Ried Gfanger 2004

Gesellman Blaufrank Creitzer 2003

Takler Noir Gold Szekszard Kekfrankos Reserve 2003

Monarchia Cellers Noir 2003