Zweigelt

Zweigelt
Grape (Vitis)

Zweigelt grapes with signs of wilting
Color of berry skin Noir
Species Vitis vinifera
Also called Blauer Zweigelt, Rotburger
Origin Klosterneuburg, Austria
Original pedigree St. Laurent & Blaufränkisch
Notable regions Austria
Zweigelt from Hungary

Zweigelt is a red wine grape variety developed in 1922, at the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg, Austria, by Fritz Zweigelt. It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. It is now the most widely grown red grape variety in Austria, as well as having some presence in Canada's vineyards. In 2008, Austrian plantations stood at 6,512 hectares (16,090 acres), and have expanded in the 2000s as a part of general red wine trend in Austria.[1]

Wine regions

Widely planted in Austria, Zweigelt vines have made inroads in the Canadian wine regions of Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and of British Columbia, with limited plantings in Hungary. In the Czech Republic it is known as Zweigeltrebe and is the third-most widely planted red-grape variety, comprising approximately 4.7% of total vineyards.[2] It grows in most of the wine regions in Slovakia. As of 2010, newly established Belgian and Polish vineyards have also started to plant Zweigelt. As of 2014, Washington state U.S.A. has several small plantings (no more than a few acres) of Zweigelt, including Wilridge Winery and Perennial Vintners.

Synonyms

Zweigelt is also known as Rotburger (not to be confused with Rotberger), Zweigeltrebe, and Blauer Zweigelt.

See also

References

  1. Österreich Wein: Dokumentation 2009 - Aufbau Weinland Österreich - Teil 1, p. 40, accessed on November 9, 2009 (German)
  2. Wine of Czech Republic ; see chart at