Blaufränkisch Bares Its Soul

By

Christoph Raffelt

•

•

Volume 11, Back in Time •
, , ,
Bucket of Blaufränkisch grapes under a pair of pruning shears
Photo credit: Nicole Heiling

My first true Blaufränkisch moment came in 2013, at a now-shuttered restaurant in Hamburg. Thirty-six bottles from a swath of Austria’s appellations stood open for tasting, from classics like Prieler’s Goldberg 1995 to Marienthal from Ernst Triebaumer to Ried Point from Kolwentz. Those wines impressed me, as they had in the past, even as they failed to inspire me.  This time, however, other wines had joined the lineup. The Spitzerberg of Muhr-van der Niepoort (today Weingut Dorli Muhr) , for example; the 2010 Reserve Pfarrgarten from Wachter-Wiesler; and the 2002 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben from Moric. Suddenly, I was electrified. The wine in the glass was entirely unlike anything I…

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Avatar photo

Christoph Raffelt is one of an exciting new vanguard of voices when it comes to German wine. And voices is not a euphemism here, as it is indeed his voice together with his stellar cast of winemakers and guests that come together on his monthly podcast Originalverkorkt.de; while his words appear in his online magazine of the same name. He's been on the road since 2016 with Büro für Wein & Kommunikation as a freelance journalist, copywriter and all-round wordsmith. His work has appeared in such esteemed publications as Meiningers, Weinwirtschaft, Weinwelt, Sommelier, Champagne-Magazin and Schluck.

Similar Posts

Spiral collection of dry-farmed tomato varieties such as Big Rainbow from Erich Stekovics in Burgenland featured in Austria's 2023 Koch-Campus.
· ·

Big Rainbow Love in Burgenland

ByUrsula Heinzelmann

Calling from the expansive, flat landscape that forms the western edge of the Pannonian Puszta steppe flatlands, Erich Stekovics is a lone voice in the tomato world. Where others seek high yield and hardy reliability, Stekovics makes the case for flavor and site. He and his wife Priska belong to the tiny share of Austrian farmers cultivating tomatoes without the cover of glass or foil, and without irrigation. At the eponymous estate in Frauenkirchen, the pair cultivate and safeguard several thousand varieties in the open, and in addition to chili peppers, onions, and garlic, their fields are surrounded by vines…....

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
3 Can’t-Miss Wines from Austria’s Thermenregion

3 Can’t-Miss Wines from Austria’s Thermenregion

ByDaniela Dejnega

​With its nearly ideal set of conditions — location, climate, indigenous varieties —Austria’s Thermenregion curiously remains an insider secret. In addition to a colorful mix of varieties common in Austria, this region just south of Vienna devotes 200 of its 2,200 hectares to the autochthonous grapes Rotgipfler and Zierfandler. They are the region’s great opportunity and are now back in growers’ sights, as illustrated by their well-deserved inclusion in the book 111 Weine aus Österreich, die man getrunken haben muss. Beyond this, some producers here are venturing into new areas, like pét-nat, while among red wines, Sankt Laurent and Pinot…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Winemaker Christine Pieroth in cellar inspecting a raised glass of red wine in the light
· ·

Christine Pieroth: The Nahe’s Natural Pioneer

ByStephanie Hanel

Piri Naturel is Christine Pieroth's independent  line of natural wines in Germany's Burg Layen. Her wines bring a breath of fresh air to more straightforward Nahe’s wine scene.

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Beethoven as Bacchus
· ·

Beethoven as Bacchus

ByRon Merlino

On the dark morning of March 26, 1827, a heavy snowstorm was falling outside the fogged window panes of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Vienna apartment. Everything was unusually quiet in this space, so customarily filled with music. Beethoven’s house servant walked into the room to announce that a long-awaited shipment of Rheingau Rieslings, wines sent at his behest by his music publisher Schott, had just arrived. Barely able to muster the energy, the composer sat up in his bed, shook his fist in anger, and muttered these very last words: “Pity, pity, it’s too late…”     He sank back into his bed,…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here