🍇 Dornfelder
A German red grape of 1955: 6,507 ha in 2024, second among German reds after Spätburgunder.
Dornfelder is a German red wine grape, bred in 1955 in Weinsberg by crossing Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe; both parents are confirmed by the breeder and by DNA markers. In 2024 it covered 6,507 ha (6.3%) in Germany, second among reds after Spätburgunder; in the Pfalz it makes up 10.1% of vineyards, in Rheinhessen 10.8%.
The variety was bred at the state institute for viticulture and horticulture in Weinsberg by August Herold. The name is linked to one of the founders of the Weinsberg viticulture school. Plant variety protection was granted on 3 December 1979, and it is in the European catalogue. The area rose fast: 41 ha in 1977, 4,372 ha in 2000, 8,201 ha in 2004 (VIVC).
According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), the wine has a deep dark colour. Fruity versions give sour cherry, blackberry and elderberry, while barrel-aged ones are full and harmonious. In Rheinhessen it is usually a dry red.
Dornfelder is the ancestor of several newer varieties: Acolon (Blauer Limberger × Dornfelder) and Monarch (Solaris × Dornfelder). Cabernet Dorsa and Cabernet Dorio are, according to the breeder, Dornfelder × Cabernet Sauvignon, but according to the VIVC DNA markers, Blauer Limberger × Dornfelder.
Why it matters to you. Dornfelder is not Germany’s most widespread red variety: in 2024 Spätburgunder covered 11,437 ha against 6,507 ha. Look at the style: fruity versions are lighter, barrel-aged ones fuller. The DWI recommends it with roast meat, game and cheese; in summer the fruity ones can be slightly chilled.
Facts
| Country | Germany 1 |
|---|---|
| Duration | Crossing 1955, Weinsberg 1 |
| Registered | Variety protection of 03.12.1979; in the European catalogue 1 |
| Region | Rheinhessen 2,984 ha (10.8%), Pfalz 2,411 ha (10.1%), 2024 3 |
| Main use | Wine grape (also table grape in VIVC) 1 |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Dornfelder → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ German wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Palatinate, 📍 Rheinhessen, 📍 Saale-Unstrut
- Main grape in
- 📍 Palatinate, 📍 Rheinhessen, 📍 Nahe
- Offspring
- 🍇 Acolon, 🍇 Cabernet Dorsa, 🍇 Cabernet Dorio, 🍇 Monarch
- Parents
- 🍇 Heroldrebe, 🍇 Helfensteiner
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Hegel
Frequently asked questions
Who are Dornfelder’s parents?
Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe: confirmed by both the breeder and DNA markers (VIVC).
Is it true that Dornfelder is Germany’s most widespread red variety?
No. In 2024 Spätburgunder covered 11,437 ha against Dornfelder’s 6,507 ha, but in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate Dornfelder is first (9.2%).
Where is it grown the most?
In Rheinhessen (2,984 ha, 10.8%) and the Pfalz (2,411 ha, 10.1%); on the Nahe 370 ha (8.7%), 2024 data.
What wine does Dornfelder make?
According to the DWI, a deep dark wine with notes of sour cherry, blackberry and elderberry; barrel-aged versions are fuller and more harmonious.
Is it true that Dornfelder is a descendant of Pinot Noir?
No. Its parents are Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe; Pinot Noir is not among the immediate parents.
What to read next
- 📍 Palatinate — Germany's second-largest wine region, between the Palatinate Forest and the Rhine; an 85 km German Wine Route, Riesling at 24.9 %.
- 🍇 Hegel — A red wine grape bred in Weinsberg, Germany.
- 📍 Nahe — Wine region on the Nahe river in Rhineland-Palatinate: 4,166 ha of vines (2025), about 29% Riesling, soils from slate to volcanic rock.
- 🍇 Acolon — A red wine grape bred in Germany by crossing Lemberger and Dornfelder.
- 🍇 Monarch — A disease-resistant German red grape from 1988, bred from Solaris and Dornfelder.
Similar
🍇 Morio-Muskat · 🍇 Hegel · 🍇 Heroldrebe · 🍇 Scheurebe · 🍇 Pinot Noir Précoce · 🍇 Kernling
Sources
- VIVC: Dornfelder (3659)
- Wines of Germany (DWI). Dornfelder
- DWI. Deutscher Wein: Statistik 2025/2026
- Destatis. Rebflächen nach Rebsorten
- Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. Landwirtschaft und Weinbau 2025