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
Marzemino - Mozart’s Favorite
With the nearly dizzying diversity of grape varieities in this world, and the REAL desire over the last 5 to 10 years of the drinking public to branch out beyond the borders of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay, I thought it might be interesting to profile some of the more interesting minor wine grape varieties.
So, this is the first installment of what I hope will be a series of profiles on grapes and wines that don’t follow the “crowd” in terms of flavors, textures, colors, places of origin, etc. but rather offer a new view on what a fine wine can be - wines that will challenge and hopefully intrigue and even excite. Look at these pieces as an incitement to leave your eonological comfort zone, and hopefully expand the range of sensations that the vine can offer.
Today’s subject is MARZEMINO. This is the name of a grape and most often the name that will appear on the label if the grape appears in the bottle (there are some exceptions, but more on that below). The Marzemino grape hails from the general area of northeastern Italy, ranging from the lake region in Lombardia in the west, to the western edges of Friuli in the east with the variety’s “heartland” being found in Trentino and to a lesser extent, Veneto. There are even some indications that the variety may have once been cultivated as far south as Tuscany, and that it may have even been a component in Chianti!
Marzemino is a late ripening variety which in part has encouraged its obscurity since fully ripening ANY sort of grape in the far north of Italy can be a fair challenge. In addition, the variety is also quite susceptible to fungal infestations which again, in the fairly wet conditions of the grape’s homeland in northestern Italy, can make cultivation of the variety a bit of a challenge.
Marzemino is not a a heavy wine, but it is very flavorful, “spunky” even. It’s color tends to a bright purple color rather than the red or brick tones of many other wines. Marzemino is more acidic than tannic in character with a medium weight body, but with a very good intensity. Marzemino often is said to smell of wild berries, violets, and asian plums.
The latest DNA profiling has shown the variety to be a relative of its Trentino brethren LAGREIN and TEROLDEGO (profiles pending!) which nearly proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the variety is native to northeastern Italy. As mentioned above, most Marzemino is bottled as a varietal (single grape variety) wine, so the name “Marzemino” nearly always appears on the label, though in the Garda Rosso DOC, Marzemino always plays an important role in the blend, it rarely appears on the label.
Marzemino’s “claim to fame” (if it can be said to be famous in ANY way) is that it was said to be Mozart’s favorite wine grape. So much so that Don Giovanni’s librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, wrote the name of the wine into the opera - I believe the Don himself sings something to the effect of “…pour the wine, an excellent Marzemino” or something similar…
Marzemino pairs very well with big-flavored medium to soft paste cheeses, stewed chicken and rabbit, grilled pork dishes, and any dish containing mushrooms.
Here are the two Marzemino wines we’re currently stocking. If you pick up a bottle or two, I’d love you to post your tasting notes as comments below! Buon Appetito!
TOM CIOCCO
