BLAUER PORTUGIESER

'Blauer Portugieser' is a German name of the old, red wine grape varietal known also as: Autrichien, Badener, Blaue Feslauertraube, Feslauer, Kékoporto (Hungary), Portugizac Plavi(Croatia), Modra Porotugalka (Slovenia), Oporto, Portugais Bleu (France), Portugieser and Vöslauer.
The grape probably arrived in 1772 from Porto into the Austrian Bad Vöslau. From there it spread throughout Germany, particularly into the Rheinhessen and Pfalz appellations.
The cultivated area in Germany (as of 1 March 2004) covers 4,980 hectares (4.8% of the total cultivated area).
Wine cellars usually vinify a simple light red wine, which is characterised by a fresh, tart and light body. It is also frequently vinified as a rosé. Blauer Portugieser is also very well suited as table grapes, however it is not sold as such because the selling of wine grapes as table grapes is not permitted in the European Union.
Since 2000 also high quality wines are vinified from Portugieser grapes. The use of oak provides additional aromes in order to compete with Bordeaux varieties.