SILVANER

'Sylvaner' (or 'Silvaner') is a variety of white wine grape grown in Alsace and Germany. It is best known as a component of Liebfraumilch and production boomed in the 1970s to the detriment of quality. On the other hand it is one of Alsace's five 'noble grapes', although its first Grand Cru vineyard was only designated in 2006, several decades after the other four varieties.
This dichotomy is explained by the vigour of the Sylvaner vine and the grape's neutral flavour, which can lead to blandness unless yields are controlled. On the other hand it gives a blank canvas for the expression of terroir, and on good sites with skilled winemaking, Sylvaner can produce elegant wine. It has high acidity but is naturally quite sweet, so is often blended with other varieties such as Riesling or Elbling, and is sometimes made into a dessert wine

Contents

History

Distribution and Wines

Australia

Austria

France

Germany

Switzerland

USA

Vine and Viticulture

Synonyms

See also

Notes and references

Further reading

External links

History

Sylvaner is an ancient variety that has long been grown in Central Europe. DNA fingerprinting has revealed it to be a cross between Traminer and the hunnisch variety Österreichisch Weiss ('Austrian White'). ^[1] As a result it is now thought to have originated in Austria rather than Transylvania as was traditionally believed.
It is thought that the grape came to Germany after the Thirty Years War, there is a record of Sylvaner from Austria being planted at Castell in Franconia on 5th April 1659.^[2]
A lot of Sylvaner was planted in Germany and Alsace after the Second World War, reaching 30% and 25% of total vineyard area in the 1970s. Much of the German crop was blended into Liebfraumilch, but overproduction ruined its reputation, and changing tastes led to many vines being grubbed up.
More recently there has been a revival based on low yields from good vineyard sites, with formal recognition in 2006 as Zotzenburg Sylvaner became the first to be designated an Alsace Grand Cru. ^[3]

Distribution and Wines

Australia

In the 1970s Brown Brothers experimented with "Syilvaner" in northeastern Victoria, but nothing seems to have come of it. Grapes and Wines of the World

Austria

There are just 34 hectares of Sylvaner in the land of its birth, a victim of the trend in Austrian wine towards drier styles.^[4]

France

Sylvaner has a controversial place in Alsace wine. It is considered one of the 'noble varieties' of the region, but only got its first Alsace Grand Cru in 2006, with the designation of Zotzenburg. Even then Jean Trimbach's view was that "This Sylvaner grand cru is only possible in Zotzenberg, it is a recognition of the terroir, but we should stop there." As in Germany, Sylvaner has been falling in popularity since the 1970s, declining from 25% of Alsace vineyards to 10% in that time.

Germany

First recorded at Castell in 1659, Silvaner (with an 'i') reached a peak in the 1970s, with 30% of German vineyards. However overproduction during the Liebfraumilch years ruined its reputation, and it has since retreated to its stronghold in Franconia (Franken), where on the best limestone terroir it can produce Chablis style wines. It is grown in Rheinhessen and Rheinpfalz too, is also made into dessert wine. Currently there are 6,101ha in Germany, just 5.9% of the total area under vineyards.
Apparently it is illegal to call it Sylvaner in Germany, although that is the name used in Alsace and in its homeland of Austria.

Switzerland

Some is grown in Switzerland, where it is known as Johannisberger.

USA

It has more or less disappeared from California, where it was known as Sylvaner Riesling, Franken Riesling, Monterey Riesling, and Sonoma Riesling.

Vine and Viticulture

The vine is vigorous and productive, with three-lobed leaves. The bunches are small and cylindrical, with medium green berries that ripen quickly.

Synonyms

Arvine, Arvine Grande, Augustiner Weiss, Beregi Szilvani, Boetzinger, Clozier, Cynifadl Zeleny, Cynifal, Fliegentraube, Frankenriesling, Frankentraube, Fueszeres Szilvani, Gamay Blanc, Gentil Vert, Gros Rhin, Gros-rhin, Gruen Silvaner, Gruenedel, Gruenfraenkisch, Grün Silvaner, Haeusler Schwarz, Johannisberger, Mishka, Momavaka, Monterey Riesling, Moravka, Movavka, Muschka, Mushza, Musza, Nemetskii Rizling, Oesterreicher, Oestreicher, Pepltraube, Picardon Blanc, Picardou Blanc, Plant Du Rhin, Rhin, Rundblatt, Salfin, Salfine Bely, Salvaner, Salviner, Scharvaner, Scherwaner, Schoenfeilner, Schwaebler, Schwuebler, Sedmogradka, Sedmogradska Zelena, Selenzhiz, Selivan, Silvanske Zelene, Sonoma Riesling, Sylvan Zeleny, Sylvaner, Sylvaner Verde, Szilvani Feher, Tschafahnler, Yesil Silvaner, Zelencic, Zeleny, Zierfandler, Zierifandel, Zinifal, Zoeld Szilvani, Zoeldsilvani, ^[5] Syilvaner, Siylvaner, Sylvaner vert, Grüner Sylvaner, Grünfraenkisch, Franken Riesling and Grüner Silvaner.

See also

★ German wine

Notes and references

★ ''This article is based in part on material from the ''.

Further reading

★ Robinson, Jancis ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996

External links

★ International Silvaner Prize (German)