Müller-Thurgau

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (July 2006)
The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.


Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau grapes
Species: [Vitis vinifera]
Also called: Rivaner, Riesling x Sylvaner
Origin: Thurgau, Switzerland
Notable regions: Germany, Luxembourg

Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape (sp. Vitis vinifera) which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, England, in Australia and New Zealand. With around 42,000  hectares (104,000 acres) cultivated world-wide[citation needed], Müller-Thurgau is the most successful newly-created varietal of the last 125 years. Although plantings have decreased significantly since the 1980s, as of 2006 it was still Germany's second most planted variety at 14,000 hectares and 13.7% of the total vineyard surface.[1] In 2007 the 125th anniversary was celebrated at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute. Müller-Thurgaus parentage, which was long assumed to be Riesling x Sylvaner, was determined in the 1990s to be Riesling x Madeleine Royale.[2] Müller-Thurgau is also known as Rivaner (Austria, Germany, Luxemburg, and especially for dry wines), Riesling x Sylvaner, Riesling-Sylvaner (Switzerland), Johannisberg (Wallis caton in Switzerland) and Rizlingszilváni (Hungary).

Contents

[edit] History of the grape variety

Most grapes have been created from a desire to harness qualities in two separate grapes and to generate a new vine that combines the qualities of both.

When Dr. Müller created the grape in the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in the late 19th century, his intention was to combine the intensity and complexity of the Riesling grape with the ability to ripen earlier in the season that the Silvaner grape possesses. Although the resulting grape did not entirely attain these two qualities, it nonetheless became widely planted across many of the German wine-producing regions.

Per cent share of common grape varieties in Germany 1964-2006. Note Müller-Thurgau's increase and decrease. Data taken from German Wine Statistics.
Per cent share of common grape varieties in Germany 1964-2006. Note Müller-Thurgau's increase and decrease. Data taken from German Wine Statistics.[1][3][4][5]

By the 1970s, Müller-Thurgau had become Germany's most-planted grape. A possible reason for the popularity of this varietal is that it is capable of being grown in a relatively wide range of climates and soil types. Many of these vines were planted on flat areas that were not particularly suitable for growing other wine grapes because it was more profitable than sugar beet, which was the main alternative crop in those locations. The vines mature early and bring large yield quantities. Müller-Thurgau wines are mild due to low acidic content, but nevertheless fruity. The wines may be drunk while relatively young, and with few exceptions are not considered to improve with age. These facts made Müller-Thurgau an economical way to provide for the immense popularity of inexpensive, medium-sweetness German wines such as Liebfraumilch and Piesporter.

The turning point in Müller-Thurgau's growth however was the winter of 1979, when on 1st January there was a sharp fall in temperatures, to -20°F (-4°C) in many areas, which devastated most of the new varieties, but did not affect the varieties such as Riesling which have much more hardy stems, after hundreds of years of selection. In the decades since then, the winemakers have begun to grow a wider variety of vines, and Müller-Thurgau is now less widely planted in Germany than Riesling, although still significant in that country and world-wide.

[edit] Genealogy

Recent DNA fingerprinting has in fact determined that the grape was created by crossing Riesling with Madeleine Royale, not Silvaner or any other suggested grape variety. But there has been some confusion on the way. In 1996 Chasselas seemed to be a valid candidate, and in 1997 the Chasselas variety Admirable de Courtiller was specified. However, this was shown to be wrong when the reference grape that was believed to be Admirable de Courtiller was proven in the year 2000 to be Madeleine Royale.[6] Madeleine Royale is now known to be a Chasselas seedling.

The consumer backlash against it (due to association with cheap, and by implication low-quality, wines) means that it is rarely declared on the label (some winemakers call it Rivaner in Germany, others simply do not mention the grape variety). Even Blue Nun Liebfraumilch is now made of 30% Riesling rather than entirely Müller-Thurgau.[citation needed]

[edit] German Growing Regions

As of 2006, German regional plantings stood at:[1]

Outside of Germany, the grape has achieved a moderate degree of success in producing lively wines in Italy, southern England (where most other grapes will not ripen in many years) Luxembourg (where it is called Rivaner), Czech Republic, and the United States.

In Germany, it has long been common to blend Müller-Thurgau with Bacchus, or small amounts of Morio Muscat to enhance its flavours.[7][8] Both are highly aromatic which don't work very well in varietal wines on their own because of a lack of acidity or structure.

[edit] European Growing Regions

[edit] Rest of the world

[edit] Synonyms

Synonyms for Müller-Thurgau include Miler Turgau, Müller, Müller-Thurgaurebe, Müllerka, Müllerovo, Muller-Thurgeau, Mullerka, Mullerovo, Riesling-Silvaner, Riesling-Sylvamer, Riesling x Silavaner, Rivaner, Rizanec, Rizlingsilvani, Rizlingszilvani, Rizlingzilvani, Rizvanac, Rizvanac Bijeli, Rizvanec, Rizvaner.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008
  2. ^ a b Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Müller-Thurgau, accessed on May 26, 2008
  3. ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2004-2005
  4. ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2005-2006
  5. ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2006-2007
  6. ^ Dr Erika Dettweiler et al.: "Grapevine cultivar Müller-Thurgau and its true to type descent", Vitis 39(2), 63-65, 2000
  7. ^ "Müller-Thurgau". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition). (2006). Ed. Jancis Robinson. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 461-462. ISBN 0-19-860990-6. 
  8. ^ "Bacchus". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition). (2006). Ed. Jancis Robinson. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 58. ISBN 0-19-860990-6. 

[edit] Literature

  • Oz Clarke & Margaret Rand: Clarkes großes Lexikon der Rebsorten, München 2001
  • Helmut Becker: 100 Jahre Rebsorte Müller-Thurgau, Der Deutsche Weinbau 12/1982

[edit] External links