Silvaner

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Silvaner
Species: Vitis vinifera
Also called: Sylvaner, Gros-Rhin, Grüner Silvaner, Johannisberger, Sylvaner Verde (more)
Origin: Central Europe, possibly Austria
Notable regions: Alsace, Austria, Franconia, other regions of Germany

Sylvaner or Silvaner is a variety of white wine grape grown primarily in Alsace and Germany, where its official name is Grüner Silvaner. It is best known as a component of Liebfraumilch and production boomed in the 1970s to the detriment of quality. On the other hand it was recently (2006) included among the varieties that can be used to produce Alsace Grand Cru together with the four 'noble grapes', although only in one vineyard, Zotzenberg.

This dichotomy is explained by the vigour of the Sylvaner vine and the grape's neutral flavour, which can lead to blandness unless yields are controlled. On the other hand it gives a blank canvas for the expression of terroir, and on good sites with skilled winemaking, Sylvaner can produce elegant wine. It has high acidity but is naturally quite sweet, so is often blended with other varieties such as Riesling or Elbling, and is sometimes made into a dessert wine.

Contents

[edit] History

Sylvaner is an ancient variety that has long been grown in Central Europe. DNA fingerprinting has revealed it to be a cross between Traminer and the "hunnisch" variety Österreichisch-Weiß (meaning 'Austrian White').[1] As a result it is now thought to have originated in Austria rather than Transylvania as some believed.

It is thought that the grape came to Germany after the Thirty Years War, there is a record of Sylvaner from Austria being planted at Castell in Franconia on 5th April 1659.[2] Its name has been taken to be associated with either latin silva (meaning woods) or saevum (meaning wild), and before modern ampelography it was sometimesassumed that this variety had a close relationship with wild vines.[3]

A lot of Sylvaner was planted in Germany and Alsace after the Second World War, reaching 30% and 25% of total vineyard area in the 1960s-1970s. It was Germany's most grown variety until it was overtaken by Müller-Thurgau around 1970. Much of the German crop was blended into Liebfraumilch, but overproduction ruined its reputation, and changing tastes led to many vines being grubbed up. However, in Franconia, where Liebfraumilch may not be produced and which primarily stuck to dry white wines in the decades when most other German regions produced semi-sweet wines, Silvaner has kept its popularity. Single-variety semi-sweet Silvaner, which used to be common, has all but disappeared from the German wine production.

More recently there has been a revival in Alsace based on low yields from good vineyard sites, with formal recognition in 2006 as Zotzenburg Sylvaner became the first to be designated an Alsace Grand Cru. [4]

[edit] Distribution and wines

[edit] Australia

In the 1970s Brown Brothers experimented with "Syilvaner" in northeastern Victoria, but nothing seems to have come of it. [5]

[edit] Austria

There are just 34 hectares of Sylvaner in the land of its birth, a victim of the trend in Austrian wine towards drier styles.[6]

[edit] France

Sylvaner has a controversial place in Alsace wine. Since 2006, it may be used in Alsace Grand Cru, which was previously reserved for the four noble grapes Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Riesling, but only in the Zotzenberg vineyard, which together with Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf were allowed to produce mixed variety wines as Alsace Grand Cru.[7] Zotzenberg Grand Cru wines may consist of Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Riesling and Sylvaner in any combination. It is therefore possible to produce a varietally pure "Sylvaner Grand Cru" from this vineyard, but it may not be labelled so, only "Zotzenberg". Even after this, Jean Trimbach's view was that "This Sylvaner grand cru is only possible in Zotzenberg, it is a recognition of the terroir, but we should stop there." As in Germany, Sylvaner has been falling in popularity since the 1970s, declining from 25% of Alsace vineyards to 10% in that time.[4]

[edit] Germany

First recorded at Castell in 1659, Silvaner (with an 'i') reached a peak in the 1960s-1970s, with 30% of German vineyards. However overproduction during the Liebfraumilch years ruined its reputation, and it has since retreated to its stronghold in Franconia (wine region), where on the best chalky Muschelkalk terroir it can produce wines that can compete with the best German white wines which usually are made out of the Riesling grape. These powerful wines which are considered food-friendly and are often described as having an "earthy" palate. Silvaner may be used for Grosses Gewächs wines (top-end dry wines), but only in Franconia and not in any of the other 12 German wine regions. It is also grown in Rheinhessen and Palatinate too, and is sometimes also made into dessert wine. Currently there are 6,101 ha in Germany, just 5.9% of the total area under vine.

The official name of the variety in Germany is Grüner Silvaner, spelled with an "i" in difference from Alsace and its homeland of Austria.[3]

The Silvaner is usually not matured in barrique barrels. This because the fine and fruity body of the Silvaner would be overwelmed by the oak taste.

[edit] Slovakia

Silvaner is traditionally grown in the Limbach village in Slovakia, that is famous for its varietal Silvaner wines, and in its surroundings.

[edit] Switzerland

Some is grown in Switzerland, where it is known as Johannisberger or Sylvaner with an "y".

[edit] USA

It has more or less disappeared from California, where it was known as Sylvaner Riesling, Franken Riesling, Monterey Riesling, and Sonoma Riesling.

[edit] Vine and Viticulture

The vine is vigorous and productive, with three-lobed leaves. The bunches are small and cylindrical, with medium green berries that ripen quickly.

[edit] Synonyms

Arvine, Arvine Grande, Augustiner Weiss, Beregi Szilvani, Boetzinger, Clozier, Cynifadl Zeleny, Cynifal, Fliegentraube, Frankenriesling, Frankentraube, Fueszeres Szilvani, Gamay Blanc, Gentil Vert, Gros Rhin, Gros-rhin, Gruen Silvaner, Gruenedel, Gruenfraenkisch, Grün Silvaner, Haeusler Schwarz, Johannisberger, Mishka, Momavaka, Monterey Riesling, Moravka, Movavka, Muschka, Mushza, Musza, Nemetskii Rizling, Oesterreicher, Oestreicher, Pepltraube, Picardon Blanc, Picardou Blanc, Plant Du Rhin, Rhin, Rundblatt, Salfin, Salfine Bely, Salvaner, Salviner, Scharvaner, Scherwaner, Schoenfeilner, Schwaebler, Schwuebler, Sedmogradka, Sedmogradska Zelena, Selenzhiz, Selivan, Silvanske Zelene, Sonoma Riesling, Sylvan Zeleny, Sylvaner, Sylvaner Verde, Szilvani Feher, Tschafahnler, Yesil Silvaner, Zelencic, Zeleny, Zierfandler, Zierifandel, Zinifal, Zoeld Szilvani, Zoeldsilvani, [8] Syilvaner, Siylvaner, Sylvaner vert, Grüner Sylvaner, Grünfraenkisch, Franken Riesling[5] and Grüner Silvaner.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Sefc KM, Steinkellner H, Glössl J, Kampfer S, Regner F Reconstruction of a grapevine pedigree by microsatellite analysis Theoretical and Applied Genetics ISSN 0040-5752 1998, vol. 97, no1-2, pp. 227-231
  2. ^ Diel, Armin; Payne, Joel (2006). WeinGuide - Franken. Gault Millau. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  3. ^ a b Wein-Plus Glossary: Silvaner
  4. ^ a b Kakaviatos, Panos (2006-09-05). Sylvaner becomes grand cru grape. Decanter. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  5. ^ a b Radden, Rosemary. Grapes and Wines of the World. The State Library of South Australia, GPO Box 419, Adelaide SA 5001. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  6. ^ Austria The Wine Country. (includes vintage guide). Austrian Wine Marketing Board (2005). Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  7. ^ INAO: AOC Alsace appellation regulations, updated until January 14, 2007
  8. ^ Maul, E.; Eibach, R. (1999-06-00). Vitis International Variety Catalogue. Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Deichmanns Aue 29, 53179 Bonn, Germany. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.

[edit] Further reading

  • Robinson, Jancis Vines, Grapes & Wines Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996

[edit] External links

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