🍇 Blaufränkisch

Blaufränkisch is a dark-skinned grape variety of Central Europe, used both for wine and as a table grape. The VIVC catalogue lists 115 synonyms for it, among them Kékfrankos, Lemberger, Frankovka and Modra frankinja.

According to VIVC's DNA markers, Blaufränkisch is the offspring of two varieties: the dark Zimmettraube Blau and the white Gouais Blanc, known in Germany as Heunisch. The catalogue considers Slovenia the variety's homeland. Blaufränkisch became a parent itself: in 1922 Fritz Zweigelt in Klosterneuburg crossed it with St. Laurent and obtained the Zweigelt variety.

In Hungary, where it is called Kékfrankos, it is the most widely planted variety. According to the OIV, in 2015 it covered 7 thousand ha there, or 10.3% of the vineyards, and was the country's only variety above 10%. Even so, from 2009 to 2015 its area shrank faster than that of most other varieties.

In Austria Blaufränkisch is the basis of several DAC appellations. «Mittelburgenland DAC» is made from Blaufränkisch, «Eisenberg DAC» without the name of a smaller locality only from it, with no blending at all, red «Leithaberg DAC» also only from this variety, and «Rosalia DAC» may be Blaufränkisch or Zweigelt.

Why it matters to you. «Kékfrankos», «Lemberger» and «Blaufränkisch» on a label are one and the same variety. A variety named on an EU wine means at least 85% of that variety. Red wines are served at 15–18 °C and stored lying down, at 10–16 °C.