🍇 Silvaner
A white grape from Austria, a descendant of Traminer; one of the main grapes of Franconia, whose wine is bottled in flat Bocksbeutel bottles.
Silvaner is a white wine grape. According to the VIVC catalogue, its homeland is Austria, and its parents, identified by DNA markers, are Traminer and the old Austrian grape Österreichisch Weiss. The catalogue lists 170 synonyms, among them Grüner Silvaner and Sylvaner.
Silvaner is most closely tied to Germany. According to the German Wine Institute, in 1970 it covered 22.8% of the country's vineyards, and in 2024 only 4.1%. According to the OIV, Germany had about 5 thousand ha of it in 2015. In Franconia, Silvaner is one of the two main grapes: it accounts for more than a fifth of the 6,128 ha.
Franconian wines are known for their flat, round-bellied bottle, the Bocksbeutel. EU rules reserve it for the Franken appellation, part of Baden and several Italian appellations, including Silvaner from Valle Isarco and Alto Adige in South Tyrol.
The grape also grows in France: according to VIVC, there were 2,830 ha there in 1968 and 1,603 ha in 2006. Many grapes descend from Silvaner, among them Rieslaner, Osteiner and Neuburger.
Why it matters to you. Silvaner, Grüner Silvaner and Sylvaner on a label are the same grape. A Bocksbeutel on the shelf almost certainly means wine from Franconia or a few other defined areas. If a grape name appears on an EU wine, at least 85% of the wine is that grape. White wine is served at 4–10 °C.
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Silvaner → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Bocksbeutel
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ Austrian wine, 🗺️ German wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Franconia, 📍 Rheinhessen, 📍 Alsace, 📍 South Tyrol, 📍 Bas-Rhin, 📍 Tauberfranken, 📍 Maindreieck, 📍 Steigerwald, 📍 Nahe, 📍 Bingen, 📍 Saale-Unstrut, 📍 Kocher-Jagst-Tauber
- Main grape in
- 📍 Alsace, 📜 Alsace Grand Cru Zotzenberg, 📍 Franconia, 📍 Rheinhessen, 📍 Nahe, 📍 Saale-Unstrut, 📜 Würzburger Stein-Berg
- Related to
- 🍷 Rudolf Fürst Silvaner pur mineral, 🍷 Hofkeller Handthaler Stollberg Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Randersackerer Marsberg Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Randersackerer Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Randersackerer Teufelskeller Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller UniWein Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Würzburger Innere Leiste Silvaner trocken, 🍷 Hofkeller Würzburger Schlossberg Silvaner trocken
- Offspring
- 🍇 Blauer Portugieser, 🍇 Morio-Muskat, 🍇 Neuburger, 🍇 Freisamer, 🍇 Sissi, 🍇 Oraniensteiner, 🍇 Bukettraube, 🍇 Osteiner, 🍇 Kanzler, 🍇 Silcher
- Parents
- 🍇 Traminer, 🍇 Österreichisch Weiss
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Müller-Thurgau, 🍇 Bacchus
Frequently asked questions
Where does Silvaner come from?
According to VIVC, from Austria; its parents are Traminer and Österreichisch Weiss.
Is it true that Silvaner is a German grape?
Not quite. It is best known in Germany, but the VIVC catalogue names Austria as its homeland.
How much Silvaner is there in Germany?
4.1% of vineyards in 2024, compared with 22.8% in 1970 (German Wine Institute).
What is a Bocksbeutel?
A flat, round-bellied bottle; the EU reserves it for Franconia, part of Baden and several Italian appellations.
How should Silvaner be served?
Like most whites, at 4–10 °C; store it lying down at 10–16 °C.
What to read next
- 🗺️ German wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📍 Alsace — A narrow strip of vineyards in eastern France between the Vosges and the Rhine; AOC Alsace since 1962, 51 grands crus and Crémant d'Alsace.
- 🍷 Rudolf Fürst Silvaner pur mineral — Rudolf Fürst Silvaner pur mineral: white wine by Rudolf Fürst from Bürgstadt in Franconia; Franken, VDP.GUTSWEIN.
- 🍇 Müller-Thurgau — A white German grape crossed by Hermann Müller in 1883; DNA analysis shows its parents are Riesling and Madeleine Royale.
- 📍 Bas-Rhin — The northern part of Alsace around Strasbourg.
Similar
🍇 Albalonga · 🍇 Müller-Thurgau · 🍇 Kerner · 🍇 Dornfelder · 🍇 Bacchus · 🍇 Pinot Blanc
Sources
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Silvaner grün, area
- Deutsches Weininstitut: Deutscher Wein Statistik 2025/2026 (Quelle: Destatis)
- OIV Focus 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (grape varieties on labels; Annex VII — Bocksbeutel)